dave mcbride

He was bad vs NE too. He fumbled twice (one was bizarrely reversed) and the Jets dropped another pick. He cannot make the throws. Yeah, backups played too, but he himself looked like the opposite of an athlete out there.

Nah, I don't think he can get us to 2-2.

This is an issue for the off-season, but as I watched Barkley yesterday, I concluded that this is not a guy that can you to 2-2 over a four-game stretch when the starter goes down. That means he shouldn't be the backup QB, because that ability to get you to 2-2 over that stretch is the baseline requirement of the backup QB. I will admit to being snookered by his once-in-a-lifetime performance against the Jets last season, but man was he godawful yesterday. He had 3 turnovers and should have had 5 (one of which was reversed by a truly terrible officiating decision). He simply can't make all the throws, and he's the sort of player who is going to throw a couple of picks every game in which the score is remotely close because the floating duck is a core part of his repertoire. Plus his multiple slip-ups and staggers led to something like three free TFLs for the Jets. I'd prefer not to spend a draft pick on a backup prospect. Who is going to be available on the open market next season? The seemingly obvious choices - Dalton, Eli, Rivers, Mariota - are not going to want to be backups in Buffalo (all would of course be major upgrades). Brissett strikes me as an ideal backup, but he's not available. Anyone have any idea of viable candidates who will be on the market in the spring? (Before anyone gets any ideas, Fitz is under contract next season.) I mean, I could see staying with Barkley because he knows the offense and seems like a decent guy, but there's gotta be an upgrade out there, right?

And Kirk Ferentz and Jim Schwartz too.

I would have said that 3-4 weeks ago, but the offense has become so pop-gun level that I just don't see it now. They haven't scored 20 points since November.

The thing about the excuses, though, is that sometimes they're valid. I remember a LOT of fans metaphorically high-fiving each other when Rex ran Roman out of town, and there was veritable dancing in the streets when Ralph forced Marv to fire Henning (which Marv refused to do - he retired instead). The very next season, Parcells hired Henning to call plays (while serving as QB coach), and lo and behold: Henning goes to a talented team, and they end up 5th in points, 4th in yards, and Vinny T has by far and away the best season of his career. The Jets go 12-4 and have a 10-0 lead in the AFC championship game before falling apart to a great Denver team. Bills fans LOVE to blame the coordinators, but it's almost always a lack of talent/execution that is the reason for the lack of production. The one big exception was Rex, who really did make a talented defensive unit underachieve. If Allen is even a moderately accurate deep thrower this season rather than being one of the very worst in the league, the yardage and point numbers would have looked a lot different. Overall, the Bills fielded a low-talent offense with a sub-average offensive line. That line was a lot better than last year's, to be sure, but that's only because last year's line was such a joke. Daboll, for better or worse, has been cursed with low-talent offenses in every place he's OC'd at.

I think it's because they throw so many go routes to him, and defenses mostly defend against that. He was good last year, so I really have no idea who is to blame this year.

Quality of ownership is decisive in coaches' decision-making. It's why Belichick pulled out of the Jets job in 1999. The Giants have been down the last three seasons, but they have some pretty good young offensive talent on their roster (including the most talented RB in the league) and the fourth overall pick, which should allow them to land a blue-chip stud like Jeff Okudah and immediately address a glaring need at a prime position (CB). Jones played a LOT better than people expected too: 24 TDs/12 INTs in 12 games; a 61.9 percent completion rate, an 87.7 rating, and was on pace for 4,000+ yards prorated over 16 games. That's all very good for a rookie. He fumbled way too much, but he was a rookie and that's to be expected.

They have good, stable ownership, have won a SB in every decade going back to the 1980s, are one of the great franchises in league history ... the list goes on.

ST isn't 1/3 of the game. It's more like 1/9.

None of the throws to Foster were close to catchable. It has been bizarre this season -- I can't think of another player who was on the receiving end of such a high percentage of uncatchable throws as Foster in 2019.

Ravens by 10 over SF.

He would have lost that challenge because it was in fact OPI. The fact that's only occasionally called doesn't erase that fact.

The NFL should really make week 17 a week in which every player on the roster is active. There's no reason not to, and these week 17 games involving teams locked into playoff slots have been a problem for a long time. His injury had nothing to do with his small frame. It was a freak leg injury on a non-contact play.

Rivera is a Rooney rule qualifier.

I was happy with the performance of the Bills' D yesterday. They should have really only given up 10 - the Jets got their first FG after the really stupid cheap shot on Bell by whats-his-name (Moreland?) in what should have been a pick.

As I have said elsewhere, why do any Bills fans care if the player makes money given that they are $90+ million under the cap. Murphy is a good player who had a solid season. He’s not elite, but he’s not being paid elite money. He’s being paid solid-veteran money.

Rudolph wasn’t benched. He was playing well and then hurt his shoulder. 14-20 for 129 yds, 1 nice TD pass, and no turnovers.

The hit on Hauschka was from the previous year, and Gregg Williams wasn't the DC of the Jets at the time.

Being conservative means at least in part being a slave to routine and highly averse to variety/novelty. Lombardi was the equivalent of someone who ate excellent pancakes for breakfast, a very good cheeseburger for lunch, and a nicely cooked piece of steak and mashed potatoes for dinner (followed by a bowl of solid vanilla ice cream) every day at the same times for seven straight years. No Thai or Ethiopian food for him.

Not really true. The year after Shanahan left, they had a good offense and lost in a squeaker in the second round of the playoffs at Philly (the eventual SB winner). The offense was good last year too. They just had a ridiculous number of defensive injuries in 2018. I can't really fathom them this year other than to say that they're better than their record. They were good the next year too. The loss to Philly in the playoffs came down to basically the final play. They missed on a fourth-and-goal play from the 2 in the final minute and lost 15-10. They beat the Rams in LA in the first round.

So it sounds like you're saying that if the running game is successful, it's not conservative. If it results in a lot of 3-and-outs, it's conservative. In 1961, the Packers were 14th in passing attempts in a 14-team league. They were 3rd in rushing attempts. In 1962, they were 14th in passing attempts in a 14-team league. They were 2nd in rushing attempts. In 1963, they were 13th in passing attempts in a 14-team league. They were 2nd in rushing attempts. In 1964, they were 14th in passing attempts in a 14-team league. They were 3rd in rushing attempts. In 1965, they were 14th in passing attempts in a 14-team league. They were 6th in rushing attempts. In 1966, they were 15th in passing attempts in a 15-team league. They were 3rd in rushing attempts. In 1967, they were 15th in passing attempts in a 15-team league. They were 4th in rushing attempts. 1967 was their last SB year and their last year of dominance under Lombardi. Dog, I fear you're just making it up when discussing the Lombardi-era Packers. Over a 7-year stretch, they were literally DEAD F**KING LAST in pass attempts every year except one, and in that year they were second last. More to the point: https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-01-27-1991027150-story.html 'Lombardi liked his football plain and simple. One defense -- four down linemen, three linebackers and four defensive backs in man-to-man coverage. Two offensive formations. Compared to today's modern teams, the Packers were a Model T. But they moved forward like a plow cutting through snow. "Vince didn't like multiplicity. He liked simplicity," said Hank Stram, whose Kansas City Chiefs lost to Lombardi's Packers in the first Super Bowl. "He might have not even liked the modern game enough to coach it." In his time, Lombardi ran the offense, Phil Bengston ran the defense, and that was that. The Packers coaching staff consisted of only six men. There were no coordinators or special teams coaches, no fancy playbooks filled with schemes or trick plays. "I don't see another Lombardi today," said Bengston, who was Lombardi's successor as Packers head coach. "They go at it entirely different. A typical NFL staff has 11 coaches. Well, jeez, I can't imagine him sitting in a meeting like that. He let me turn in a report on the defense once a week. I don't think he ever read it."'

Lotta stupid people out there, but most Bills fans seem to love him and are hoping for the best.

I'd be curious to know how much emphasis they place on injury history in the draft and FA process.

??? I *like* Allen. I criticize certain aspects of his game, for sure, but I believe he can improve and certainly has the talent to do so. He's only 23!