finn

My point is that Allen would have the Bengals winning their division, not because he's more talented physically than Burrows (I would say his mobility and power is offset by Burrow's superior accuracy) but because he has more will to win. In other words, there IS more that Burrows could do. Of course, if he could do what Allen can do, he wouldn't be Burrows...

I agree, of course, but I would argue it's more of a QB stat than it appears. Put Allen on the Bengals and Burrows on the Bills. What difference would there be in the respective teams' record compared to their records now, all else being equal?

Rocks in bottles, hm. He may be on to something. Would beat the train noise.

We already have Daniel Jones for a backup, or his clone anyway.

Play it out or trade him when his stock was highest, at the beginning of that fifth year. I don't recall any team having the foresight to pull off this kind of move. I thought Arizona should have traded Kyler Murray at the same point. I still stand by that judgment, given that haul they could have gotten for him and (I think) how unlikely it is he will take the team to the Super Bowl.

They convinced themselves he was their Josh Allen. Letting him walk would have been a courageous move, but it would have been the right one.

Am I the only one who finds the train whistle utterly obnoxious?

As I recall, McDermott said they picked Bernard mostly because his coach at Baylor, a friend of McDermott's, said Bernard was the real deal. He was right. So was the writer of his profile on NFL.com, at least in terms of Bernard's strengths, quoted below. I admire his play for a lot of reasons, but especially how he studies film. Scouts rave about his leadership and character. Never-quit attitude despite adversity. Film junkie who rang up 100-plus tackles in 2019 and 2021. Rapid read and response against play-action. On a continuous quest to go get the football. Loose and fluid in pursuit and change of direction. Bends and flattens off the corner as a blitzer. Speed to cover man targets underneath.

I'm not upset, nor have I missed the positive coverage of Allen. I'm just pointing out that the constant refrain "Allen turns the ball over too much" is never, that I've seen and heard, paired with his remarkable touchdown production. It's the mindless repetition of the Narrative I object to. By the way, I also object to the "Mahomes won three Super Bowls, so he should be spared all criticism" narrative you repeat, too. I'll assume the best and won't accuse you of being mindless on this point. Maybe you thought it through and concluded Mahomes should only be praised. All Hail Saint Patrick?

Yes, but why that narrative, repeated ad nauseum even by Bills fans, never paired with his scoring far more touchdowns than everyone else? He's had 189 TDs since 2020 vs. 62 interceptions. Mahomes has 167 TDs in the same period vs. 56 interception. So 22 more TDs than "the best player in the league" and just 6 more interceptions, yet he's a turnover machine, not a touchdown machine. Bias anyone?

Absurd how that silly poll of 103 players got so much attention. Just 11 voted him the the most overrated passer (not player) and 39 voted him the best quarterback in the league. The media turns that into "Allen's peers think he's the most overrated player in the league." https://www.si.com/nfl/bills/news/buffalo-bills-josh-allen-most-overrated-term-of-endearment

Wow, really impressive technology. Funny to think our grandkids will scoff at how primitive it is. But it is some cool. Give you a sense of how complex and fast things are on the field.

It's about time the narrative evolves. The last time I was hearing similar praise for Allen was after the 2022 playoff game against the Chiefs. But the old narrative still lingers. At one point in Sunday's game, Nance was going on about how Mahomes has dominated Allen in the playoffs, but the graphic on the screen showed that, head to head, Allen was better in all categories but wins.

Has anyone heard of Spanuolo's reaction to the Allen run? I heard a KC player saying they dialed up the perfect call but Allen beat them anyway, which is what Belichick said a few years ago about defending Allen.

The nice thing about this group of receivers is that they're pretty much all on the rise. Samuels appears to be recovered from turf toe, Kincaid is approaching his prime years, Shakir is in already in his prime and still improving, Coleman is adjusting to the NFL and starting to show his talent, and Cooper is just now learning the offense and developing chemistry with Allen. Hollins and Knox aren't necessarily improving, but they provide reliable veteran depth. In other words, the best of this group lies ahead. Meanwhile, Brady is dialed in, the running backs are young, versatile, and fast, the O-line is approaching elite, and Allen, well, Allen of course is The One. Looking forward to the rest of the season!

Any posters there with an intelligent or balanced view?

Just looking at Allen highlights. So many of them are strikes to Gabe Davis, and not just the iconic ones. When I think of Gabe, I've tended to think of his drops, especially that incredible 60-yard absolute dime from Allen at the end of the Jets game right after Allen had hurt his shoulder. Would have been one of the best, most clutch throws in Allen's career, which is saying something. For me, that drop eclipsed the many terrific plays Davis made in his time, and that's not fair or right. He was a big part of Allen's early success.

A year learning the position and getting up to NFL strength standards will really help, too. Ok, I'm intrigued. As we saw Sunday, Van Demark ain't chopped liver, either. Beane has been backfilling the roster nicely.

Why do you say that?

He wouldn't have made it through the arm tackles. Someone wrote that tackling Allen was like throwing yourself in front of a race horse. I've tried to make the same point here many times in the past but much less successfully. Cheers.

I'm not saying he isn't really good. That one drive was excellent, for example. I'm saying he's overrated, which is a pretty modest claim given the God-like status he has. So, no, it's not a ridiculous take. Mahomes is an elite quarterback, but he's not carrying that team; the defense is.

I'm waiting for the "Mahomes is overrated" thread. Put any of the top 16 quarterbacks on that KC team and get the same results. They're winning with Mahomes, not because of him.

Aside from The One: Bernard. The sack and the interception, the second time he's iced a game. The man studies film. Clutch player in the mold of Milano, Talley, and Bennett. Rapp. I thought he was a weak link in the D, but he's been great back there. Makes the key stops and brings the lumber. Rousseau. How many pressures did he have? What a beast coming at you every play. A raging giant. Babich. Great mix of zone and man, blitz and falling back. Disciplined play from his guys. Smart football. Shut down Kelsey, Mahomes' security blanket. O-line. Run blocking wasn't great, but Allen had all the time he needed. No sacks, no penalties. Oliver. You can lose him in the scrum, but he had some terrific plays against the best interior line in the league. Cooper. He might have caught that long ball one handed because of his injury. Playing hurt to help the team and coming through. Respect. Shakir. He doesn't get the attention he deserves. Best or near the best in RAC and catch percentage. What else can you ask from the guy? McDermott. The light has gone on. Aggressive as he's been in spots, at heart he's always been a play not to lose guy. No longer.

Allen is going against a much harder defense with fewer weapons than Mahomes.

Well, KC is a good team. They're not going to go third and out probably. Clutch drives by both offenses back to back. But KC's TD drive sure seemed a lot easier than Buffalo's.