BillsVet

Was not my point. The guy was covered by a 2nd Team All Pro on that okay and managed to beat him. Defending against Kelce is more than chipping at the LOS or putting a DB on him.

Especially when Knox is needed to block and not running routes. You want to maximize the passing game? Stop nickel and diming the OL with poor pass blockers who need TE help. James could not keep up with Kelce at the end of the Chargers game in LA Week 11. Matched up against James 1:1, Kelce ran a short crossing route and scored from 17 yards out...and James was a 2nd Team All Pro this season.

Teams don't draft QB's high to indefinitely be running types in run-based offenses. Perhaps at the outset this is understood, but those teams need their guy to develop into a passing QB who runs less. Fields is entering year 3 and the top QBs had demonstrated an ability to play from the pocket. Roman takes a run first offense and makes it better...sure. But run-first offenses need to eventually move into, driven by QB play, a solid passing team. That's the way it's done in the NFL now. Over an off-season teams learn how to stop guys like Kaepernick and Jackson if they don't become better passers.

Regular season statistical analysis projected for use in the playoffs is asinine because the majority of Buffalo's games (11) contributing to +/- came against non-playoff teams. Sure, you can beat up on bad to mediocre teams turning the ball over a few times because Josh can make up for that against those defenses. No sane mind believes that turnovers aren't as big a deal in the playoffs where number of possessions matter against better competition. And that is especially the case going up against strong offenses that score quickly. A team like CIN or KC having one less possession and Buffalo getting another increases a favorable result.

I see people determining that Josh not running has something to do with his football intelligence increasing. Perhaps in the game-plan process that was reinforced more, but I'll contend that, versus Miami, the Dolphins using 8 in the box in the first half was more a factor than anything else. Then, when they transitioned to more zone in the second half Josh saw what he thought were passing opportunities and attacked that way. Josh running is what defenses want: they get a chance to put a hit on him and it means downfield they've mitigated his receiving options. Because if I'm defending against Buffalo's offense, I'd rather get beat on a 10 yard scramble than a 20 yard pass completion. There is never 1 cause for something changing. Typically there is a root cause with other contributing reasons for why something happens.

Yep. Send him to the re-education camp so he can renounce his playing history. Are you volunteering to be the TBD commissar?

Mike Florio is a clown.

Wide 9 inbound.

This isn't a one game issue...they've had issues pass blocking particularly in the back half of the season. It's interesting to me that Miami's plan was to put pressure because it indicates they saw a weakness there. And of course...because the pass blocking was mediocre to bad, but made to look better because Josh is mobile and has a good sense of the rush. Something is amiss between the people who run personnel and the people who coordinate the offense. That's not good and it'd be best for this franchise that it get aligned this off-season.

That sort of strategic mis-alignment just never gets addressed in the off-season and they've had 2 since Josh's breakout 2020 season to do it. I'd really like to know who during off-season reviews stands up for and pounds the table for offense. If the GM is focused on acquiring pieces and managing the cap, then the HC is setting their strategic priorities and those rate offense behind his beloved defense. Ironically, the first thing McD did as Buffalo's HC was rebuild the secondary. I guess he understands the passing offense is predominantly featured by other teams, but wants his to be balanced. Makes you wonder.

I'm not limiting the issue to one game...this has been a season long problem. Their UFA signings last off-season were underwhelming and draft picks on OL have not performed to expectations. It's not a priority for them.

Skimping offensively on OL and WR takes even an excellent QB and hinders production. That is one of the contributing causes to the quality of play from that unit.

Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain. It's entertainment at the end of the day.

Gotta pay for that Kyler Murray guaranteed deal somehow. LOL. I know the USMC doesn't have the money the Army does, but this is bonkers. I did Basic in 2002 and all the individual initial entry gear from the central issue facility were not charged including sets of BDU's (cammies), jacket, socks, boots, hats, etc. Did have to buy personal hygiene items at PX when we finally taken there. Either the USMC was/is cheaper than I thought or something ain't gelling with your story.

Clearly by making cuts to the fantasy roster. OBD gets praise for getting this team to be a perennial playoff team...but the harder work is sustaining that level of play. Buffalo can go the route of GB and remain on that plateau or ascend to being a championship contender while working within the limits of paying a franchise QB. The HC's vision for this franchise is under the microscope more now than ever. He's the architect of how they build a roster and Beane gets those pieces. Josh deserves better than what's he's been handed the past 2 seasons on offense. This off-season should transition the franchise to one that builds around the franchise QB by deferring to offense.

Yeah. The days of Buffalo re-signing all their guys is over this off-season. It won't be like the 2006 off-season when Fletcher and Clements were allowed to go for nothing, but everyone will need to acclimate to more contributors departing. And not because they were cheap as in RW's later years. They've kicked the can down the road that the bill coming due means, to your other post, that pro personnel and amateur scouting needs to be better. For now it's the playoffs and I'll be content with watching the games...but this off-season there'd better be a realignment of priorities.

Malik Boyd would be a huge loss...almost as much or maybe the same as Brian Gaine in 2018-19. Is it Reid or Reid and Mahomes...because Philly fans would disagree on the former.

If the reports are true that some league flunky wanted to give the teams 5 minutes to warm up after Hamlin left for the hospital, then kudos to McD for saying no to that insanity. That took a lot of emotional intelligence to consider the gravity of the situation, look at his players, realize they can't go now, and then to get them out of there. A great leader always knows to be situationally aware enough to read the people in his organization and know where he needs to be. McD did that as well as anyone can expect given what happened. In probably the most crucial moment as a leader of men he showed me a lot of character. Can never take that away from him.

Unpopular take: I have never liked comparing even a violent game like the NFL to war. One is not like the other no matter how many times they are mentioned together. Marv often used to say that a NFL game was not a must-win, WWII was a must win. That said, there are men in women in the US who have served in wartime and attended memorial services of those recently killed in action. Those surviving service members did not have the option of calling it a day and retreating into permanent despair. Losing a friend/fellow team member suddenly is a trauma and unfortunately people must return to their duties and later home to face some real serious demons. We pray for Damar, his family and hope for his recovery from this tragedy. It may not be the time today or tomorrow to play a game, but there is a healing in moving forward with the season. It is not time to quit, suspend expectations and remain in a pit of despair because of this. I'm not calling into question anyone's toughness, mentally or physically either. Human beings must, given the world we live in, strive to overcome even extreme adversity. Sometimes that adversity is going to be more than we think we can handle and there is no manual to do this. I saw Dan Orlovsky on ESPN the other day go his route...and I think it's a good start toward working through the tragedy.

Reminds me of Gregggg Williams claiming he wanted to draft Drew Brees in 2001. Revisionist history from has-beens to improve their bad reps.

Read your first sentence over again. Then consider Simms' observation given your first sentence. If you asked a lot of NFL pundits, I'm confident they' respond the same way about how Buffalo's offense has been built. They papered over personnel issues and still haven't given Josh what KC and CIN gave their franchise QB's.

But who really cares besides fans? Not trying to be a jerk...just asking the question.

It's still missing that both QB performed in vastly different eras. It's like the people who look down and see MLB'ers who hit 500 homers in the 50s/60s and compare that to the juiced era. As if there's no difference. Marino was doing this when people had backs running the ball 350+ times a season, defenders could destroy QBs and WR's, and teams generally didn't throw the ball like they do now. Now, the rules favor the passing offense and no one dares hit a QB. We've seen how that gets flagged and PI is called far differently than it was in the mid-80s. Ergo, passing records are easier. The other thing is, all of this is just symbolism over substance. I doubt Josh is concerned with this "record" or that he's been QB for the AFCE winner these last 3 seasons after the franchise drought going back into the mid-90s. It's a fan specific thing to highlight. Means basically nothing.

I will never understand why people come here to post regular season statistical performance that, considering where the franchise is, having nothing to do with post-season performance. And I say that completely believing Josh had won them the Divisional Round game last year. Everyone knows that Josh is a franchise QB...we don't need to validate that concept anymore.

The Fantasy Football approach to NFL roster strategy continues.