mannc

Anyone who's watched the Saints recently (including on MNF last night) has noticed WR Rashid Shaheed, who has emerged as one of the top deep-ball threats in the NFL. He's got unbelievable top-end speed, plenty of wiggle, excellent hands and is great at tracking the ball. In short, he is a nightmare for safeties and a guy that defense ignores at their peril. It hardly needs to be said that he's exactly the kind of receiver the Bills could use to open up their passing game. So how did the Saints land this game-breaker? Well, he was an undrafted free agent from Weber St. (1-AA school that is the alma mater of Taron Johnson and Damian Lillard), where he tied the NCAA record for most career kickoff returns for touchdown (10, I think). He played WR at Weber St and was productive but not amazing. He was probably on track to be a 5th or 6th round pick, but then he blew out his ACL near the end of his senior year...No NFL combine, no 40-yard dash, and no selection in the 2022 draft. But the Saints had been watching him closely and offered him a guarantee equal to what a fifth round pick would have received. But it wasn't all smooth sailing after that. At 2022 training camp, Shaheed was cut and then signed to the Saint's practice squad, then called up mid-season. His first two touches in a real NFL game resulted in (1) a 44-yard rushing TD on a jet sweep, and (2) a 53-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton. While he has not been the main focal point of the Saints' offense, he's been a guy who draws a lot of attention and creates a lot of space for others. He made the pro bowl last year and now seems poised to become a star in the league. Thanks for reading. Not Bills-related, but I just think Shaheed is an interesting story and it shows that there are all sorts of different paths to NFL stardom, and all sorts of ways that teams come up with difference-making players.

There is a big difference between rebuilding after winning multiple Lombardis and rebuilding after getting your ass kicked in the divisional round time after time…there is a much higher tolerance for the former.

Well, there is a way the Bills could even the playing field…

Great, so why didn’t we sign him?

And a couple weeks ago, he was released by the offensive powerhouse known as the New England Patriots.

Great write up, but I take issue with your statement that Brady was not predictable, which I think you meant in terms of personnel and formation, when he chose to pass. But the Bills threw on only 7 of 25 first downs during the game, which I believe is an unacceptable ratio, especially in a game like this. As you say, it’s the best down on which to throw, and the line was not holding up well on the more obvious passing downs.

You can say that again…

Look, here's the problem I have with this "mini-rebuild" argument...heavy roster turnover is a constant in the NFL, even among top teams (the Chiefs have only three starters left from their 2020 Super Bowl team), and the Bills still have a lot of continuity and veteran talent in place, especially at QB, CB and the offensive and defensive line, where continuity matters a lot. It seems to me that the "mini-rebuild" argument is just a way to give Beane and McDermott a free pass for whatever happens this season, when they've been in charge of this operation for eight seasons now and have yet to show acceptable results. Teams with true franchise quarterbacks should never really have a down year unless the quarterback gets hurt. To the extent the Bills problems this year are a result of the dead cap they are carrying (which I don't believe), who do you think is responsible for all that dead cap space?

Remember when the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill and let a bunch of other high-priced starters walk, and then won two more Super Bowls during their “mini re-build”?

Yes, there is risk associated with changing coaches and/or GMs, but this regime is in its eighth year and it hasn't even gotten close to getting this team over the top. We are still losing games the same way and we are still failing to maximize the most talented QB in the league. Every season looks more or less the same. The clock is ticking and the biggest risk is continuing to squander Josh Allen's career.

At this rate, Allen is not going to make it to the bye week. He’s taken huge hits two weeks in a row, including on the insane “trick play” last week. The inability to get the most out of Josh Allen is the biggest and most unforgivable fail of the McBeane administration and it’s the primary reason that they need to go now.

As I recall, both misses occurred in the same (windy) game in Buffalo…was it the Giants game last year??

5) We have not yet signed Greg Rousseau to a huge extension.

Great...then another early playoff exit

Fire Marino!

Allen is not going to get out of the Jets game in one piece. Brady will get him killed.

And McPherson, who is $, misses badly on a 53-yarder to win the game for Cinci

Kneeling was not the answer. Houston had three timeouts. The Texans still would have gotten the ball back

This coaching staff is simply not good enough.

Deep shot to Hollins…FFS

Texans convert 3 third and longs on the game winning drive

Brady is incapable of doing the unpredictable, except for the dumbest trick play in the history of football.

Back shoulder to a RB?

When you throw only in obvious passing situations, it’s a recipe for getting your QB killed.

Absolutely brutal play calling. Get rid of Brady now.