dave mcbride

Yup. He is clearly no longer a playmaker.

I have been a pretty vocal defender of the concept that Taylor is a decent qb, but he was awful today. Anyone pointing to the defense to defend him today is essentially crusading. I am beginning to have serious doubts about him. Hopefully he can bounce back, but the schedule doesn't really get any easier.

Easy - root for my brother to have a good game in a loss.

Good piece: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/11/10/thursday-night-football-should-be-illegal-was-seahawks-cardinals-the-tipping-point/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_football-11am-winner%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.5a881685e697 Last night's game was an injury fest. So many stoppages of play.

When people bring this up, I always look to Paul Posluzny. Except for 2014, when he missed half the season, he has missed very little time in his seven years in Jax despite playing a highly injury-prone position (LB). Bills fans thought he was a China doll.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/the-nfl-is-reeling-and-the-jerry-jones-roger-goodell-rift-doesnt-help/2017/11/10/2f60432a-c62b-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_goodell-355pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.92d4a36885c1

Jason Peters tore two achilles in quick succession and then returned to have a series of all-pro seasons. Just about everyone gets injured for substantial stretches in the NFL. It's the one thing you can accurately predict about NFL players' careers. People need to make their peace with this.

Yup. Practically every player in the NFL gets hurt at some point. It's part of the game.

Well said. Jones is a reprehensible person.

Dunno. I have to think it helps some. They are part of every sport, but outside of the other blood sports (boxing, MMA), football is off the charts relative to the others. Fast, huge, and exceptionally strong guys taking each other out is going to lead to concussions.

Dareus' 2014 season was statistically one of the best seasons by a Bills defensive player in team history. I don't think they're comparable. Robinson was never good.

As long as guys are driven into the ground on a regular basis (where helmets often bounce on the ground) and as long as linemen knock heads on basically every play, the issue will remain.

If he had the injury last season, the Patriots knew he could play with it. pretty simple. He was good for them last season. Had a big SB too, including drawing the game-clinching PI in OT.

Last night it seemed like 6-7 players were dragged off the field with significant injuries, and Russell Wilson took a pretty hard shot to the chin that put him off the field for a play (although he was able to go back in). So no, I don't think it's changing all that much. It's a brutal game and will remain so if defenses remain intent on stopping offenses through the imposition of will. I don't see that changing.

I personally know many people who do factor the CTE issue in and refuse to watch it on those grounds (and they used to watch it). Practically no one I know lets their kids play tackle football either (and my nearly 18-year old son has participated at the highest levels of youth travel sports since he was 8). Are these folks a majority of the viewership? No, but we're talking about margins here anyway. MMA will also never reach the mass level that the NFL has achieved, so I don't think it's remotely comparable. It's a fringe sport that has almost zero purchase among sports fans with college degrees or above or who are in the professional classes. This isn't meant to denigrate its fans; just stating an objective reality. Finally, I do expect that football remains #1 for the foreseeable future. But bear in mind that boxing and horse racing used to be #1 too. Actually, one more note - I find the NFL just as watchable as it ever was. I fully reject the idea that it's somehow less watchable now than it was at its actual height of popularity 4 years ago. Good post. Thanks. Perhaps not the place for this, but the league is smart to be pumping up this sport: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/nyregion/flag-football-touches-down-in-brooklyn.html . Flag is arguably the favorite sport of nearly every athletic kid that I know. It's an awesome game - a cross between football and ultimate frisbee (another great game).

CTE is the biggest issue of all, in my opinion. Another take: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/11/08/the-cracks-in-the-foundation-are-there-bob-costas-imagines-a-future-without-football/?tid=sm_fb&utm_term=.20593835bcd0

Um ... Parcells HIRED Belichick. Building a good staff is the most important job of a coach.

Unpopular opinion: Marrone is a good head coach. Their schedule is very easy. It'll come down to the Detroit game - a semi-quality opponent at home.

I think the Bills lose this one but I also don't think it's crippling.

Not "at best" - just "average, plain and simple". His team is 20-17 with him at the helm, and his passer rating are consistently in the band between 10 and 18. Not sure why people feel the need to add the negative qualifier "at best" given that we know have 2.5 seasons of work to judge him on.

Taylor is 12th in passer rating and 18th in total QBR - basically, smack dab in the middle of the league. This is pretty much what we expected based upon past performance. It could be a lot worse.

Yep - Saints is a free swing, although given past history for both the Bills and McDermott vs. the Saints, the free swing is against Clayton Kershaw.

Yup. Go Stafford!

Jax's remaining schedule: Chargers at home at Browns at Cardinals (who don't have a qb!) Colts at home Seahawks at home (I can see them losing this one, but it's a tossup) Texans at home at SF at TN

They've faced Brees-led teams twice and have been destroyed. McDermott's defenses have mostly been destroyed too (29 ppg), although the Panthers did win a couple of 41-38 games. The Bills offense isn't capable of racking up 35+ points, and in any event the Saints D is much improved.