sullim4

BAL @ BUF (Sat. 8:15pm EST, NBC) - Carl Cheffers

The obvious answer here - the white throwbacks. They are allowed to wear the throwbacks once in the playoffs without a waiver from the NFL.

... but it might be chilly! If it takes away Lamar's elusiveness, then I'm all for it. I think you have to get a quick lead and make him pass the ball... that's the path to victory.

Playing the NFC East and AFC South, that's how.

Alex Van Pelt is apparently a wizard at running the offense.

There are outlined in the network contracts. The reason you see an NFC game on CBS this weekend is that the extra two wild card games were subject to a one-off contract that CBS and NBC won: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/03/31/nbc-cbs-would-televise-the-two-extra-wild-card-games/ FOX will air the two NFC games next week, and they will be on different days, putting the two AFC games on different days. I would be willing to bet dollars to donuts :).

They are a weird team. Usually large TV markets have nationwide fan bases but I agree, the Bears don't have a ton of fans out this way in the PNW. The networks love them though, so they must pull in ratings. I feel like their fanbase has more in common with the smaller market rust belt teams (CLE, DET, CIN, etc) than teams like the Giants, Eagles, Rams, etc.

The network breakdown this year is NBC and CBS get 1 AFC game, and FOX gets 2 NFC games. Should they put the two NFC games on the same day, FOX would have to juggle the late game should the early game go into overtime. For this reason, they ensure that the two games each day are on different networks. So, FOX will have a game on Saturday and Sunday, with NBC likely getting a Saturday game and CBS getting the Sunday game (although NBC/CBS could easily flip flop).

Look for the Bills in the early Saturday slot if they play the Ravens. If they play the Steelers, there is an outside chance they could get the Saturday night slot. CBS only has one AFC divisional this year, with NBC getting the other game. Expect CBS to lobby to keep Mahomes, especially if it's Jackson v Mahomes.

This is easily the worst game of the weekend so far. Chicago has no business being in the playoffs and Brees seems like he's done.

The thing missing here is that broad analytics treat situations as though "everything is equal." They do not take into consideration the emotion, momentum, or intangibles that play into a given situation. If you're playing against the Jets, for instance, giving them the ball late in the 2nd quarter at their own 4 gives them nearly zero probability to score. But Allen and the Bills? Not so much, and it turned out that the Bills did just that, and stole the momentum from the Colts going into halftime. FWIW, I liked the 2pt play after the penalty on their part, but I thought the 4th down call was too aggressive given the situation and what the turnover on downs meant.

My theory is that the WR injuries must be worse than disclosed. That Davis got so many of the looks, and Beasley looked hobbled, makes me think Daboll looked to the QB draws over passing the ball. I can't otherwise explain the constant QB draws. The defense otoh... what a joke. They will not win many other games playing like this.

It is odd to me that this hasn't leaked yet. Nobody's watching the Pegula jet to see any marketing departments that might have been coming in and out of town?

If so, this is Belichick-level coaching in the playoffs. I love being on the other side of this.

This Philly quarterback is terrible. Like Jeff Tuel terrible.

Ratings ratings ratings. That's what drives time slot selections. Team performance is (mostly) irrelevant.

Bump. They got the early slot alright, though a bit surprised it is on CBS.

For those wondering, a tie = Titans go to Buffalo

Colts kicker could be a liability for them next week.

So assuming results hold.... Colts loss = we play Miami Titans Win/Colts Win = we play the Colts Titans Lose/Colts Win = we play Tennessee Let's go Marrone!

What does that say for Daboll? That he should stick around?

I know a lot of hay has been made over the fact that Buffalo has been in primetime the last 4 weeks, but a grand total of zero of those games were in the 4:25 doubleheader slot. That is the timeslot that the NFL tends to put the most profitable, high-powered games that feature major media market teams and/or teams that have a track record of drawing huge ratings (e.g. Green Bay, KC, etc). Over the last four weeks, the lead doubleheader games have been: W16: Los Angeles Rams (2nd largest media market, Goff) v. Seattle Seahawks (Wilson) W15: Kansas City (Mahomes) v. New Orleans (Brees) W14: New Orleans (Brees) v. Philadelphia (Wentz, 4th largest media market) W13: Philadelphia (Wentz, 4th largest media market) v. Green Bay (Rodgers) Philadelphia, despite a 4-10-1 record, is on there twice, because they are a huge media market and their fans will watch regardless of their success in a given season. It is also no coincidence that Nantz/Romo have called Buffalo games zero times this year. That will come next year but I suspect it won't happen this year until the AFC Championship game, should the Bills get that far.

Ratings. This is the first year of the expanded playoff format, but expect the Sunday afternoon/evening slots to be the highest rated. That's how it works on a typical regular season Sunday as well as during the divisional round. CBS has the Sunday afternoon slot, and the NFL will not pass up putting an NFC team that gets eyeballs (NFC East/Tampa Bay/New Orleans/Seattle) in one of those slots. It is, of course, possible that the NFL Cross-flexes an NFC team into the 4:40p CBS slot, as CBS and NBC bid on these games and won irrespective of the traditional AFC/NFC Sunday packages, but I think that's doubtful.

People do not like to hear this here, but the NFL schedules solely based on ratings. The Bills sadly do not pull the numbers that teams like Pittsburgh, Tampa (Tom Brady), and Dallas (should they make it) do. This is the reason Bills/Texans last year was banished to the early Saturday slot, which historically has the lowest ratings of any wild card slot. The only guarantees that we have at this point is that CBS/Nickelodeon will have the 4:40p Sunday game, and NBC will have the SNF game at 8:20. CBS has already expressed their desire to have the Steelers in the 4:40 slot, and the SNF game is almost guaranteed to be an NFC team. FOX has the early slot on Sunday, which would also be an NFC team. Expect the Bills to play on Saturday, probably early, on ESPN or NBC.

I don't think they have the cap space to sign both. Letting Trent Murphy walk opens up 9.775M in space but there are FAs like Feliciano that will eat that up. At this point I tend to agree that the question is more about whether Milano can stay on the field. If he can, I think you sign him. Otherwise, I think you sign Edmunds, although I just haven't seen anything worthy of a Tre White-type contract from Edmunds.