finn

Samuel? I missed that. Is he injured, too?

A realistic prediction (not cynical or whiny or frustrated or making excuses ahead of time): The refs will flag the at least Bills three times for every two times they flag KC; The KC penalties will be relatively harmless (e.g., false starts, Offside) and never at critical moments; The Bills penalties will mostly harmful (holding, DPI, RTP) and come at critical moments (e.g., killing drives, wiping out sacks); The refs will miss ("miss") at least three blatant KC penalties; they will miss zero blatant Bills penalties. If KC wins, they will have won because of two or three controversial calls in their favor; if the Bills win, they will have overcome at least three critical calls that went against them. I want to be wrong, but I'm not. Thought experiment: Can you imagine the refs blatantly favoring the Bills? (Made you laugh out loud, didn't I?)

This is where the game is susceptible to corruption. A biased ref know he has to tip the scale on just one or two plays to radically change the outcome of a game. The NFL must know that. So what safeguards are they taking? Has anyone heard of, say, bans against refs betting on games, directly indirectly? If so, has any ref been sanctioned for betting? A few scalps would go a long way to restoring public confidence in the fairness of the game. Quite apart from the evidence of bias, it just stands to reason that at least some refs would be corrupt, especially now that gambling is legal and people have huge amounts invested in the outcome of games.

Given that he's ineffective even against much lesser interior linemen that KC has, how about lining up Oliver against the left tackle on passing downs? He's quick and powerful, and he might be more effective than Epenesa, who usually gets glued to the block. I should be an NFL consultant. 😁

So nice to evidence-based analysis for a change. It's vanishingly rare, at least where I'm looking. Thanks for the link.

Will for me. I don't watch the hype, pre-game, halftime, or post-game commentary, and I mute all but the actual play by play. I wonder why anyone pollutes their mind with all the other crap.

About ten days ago Ian Rappaport said Pacheco would be back within the next two or three weeks. But my point was that he'd be back given Murphy's Law.

How nauseating. According to this crew, if the Chiefs win, it's because they own the Bills. If the Bills win, KC doesn't care because "it's their Super Bowl" and KC will win when it matters. No analysis, no data, patterns, insider information... just chest beating. You get a sense it's all compensating.

Look for no Kincaid, Coleman, Cooper, or Brown--and no injuries at all, not one, on the Chiefs. Oh, and they have Pacheco back.

If I had known for sure I could draft Allen the next year, I would have passed on Mahomes, too. I wouldn't want to have to support Mahomes. Just don't like the guy. Plus, Allen is better.

For a fan, the outcome of this game will be frustrating either way. If they lose, KC owns them, etc. If they win, it's "Who cares? KC will win when it matters." Best attitude: Beat them now, ignore the noise, and beat them even worse in January.

For me, with little football knowledge and no access to tape, I just have to trust the coaches on Hamlin over Bishop and, previously, Edwards. He's likely improving, too. But why invest such a high pick in a safety, then? Was it lack of trust in Rapp? What role does Bishop have next year and beyond, if Rapp is playing well signed for two more years and Hamlin is coming on? That's a big investment for a developmental player.

How about Milano AND Dodson? With all respect and gratitude to Klein, I don't want a repeat of the KC playoff game. Milano and Bernard backed up by Dorian and Dodson sounds good to me.

Yeah, but try arguing he's just as good as or better than Mahomes. Their scoffing dismissal will have a distinct note of insecurity and defensiveness. They know/fear that Allen is objectively better. The hardware argument only gets you so far.

He also seemed to be jogging when he blitzed Flacco yesterday, or at least he ran with little urgency. I don't think he's awful, but he's definitely the weakest starter, and that's including Epenesa and Williams. If Hyde came back and played like that, people would say, "See? He's washed. Old and slow."

The new Jerry Hughes, maybe.

Thanks, but facts get in the way of my prejudices so I tend to ignore them. 😃 To be clear, I'm not saying KC always get the calls, just that they get them in critical moments. For example, if it was KC kicking that field goal yesterday and Denver blocking it, a Denver player would have been flagged for being Offside. (I'll let confirmation bias take it from here.)

Offenses like KC's feast on bend but don't break defenses like the Bills. You'd think the Bills would have learned that by now. Think how much time Geno Smith, Tua, and Flacco had in the pocket and imagine Mahomes back there instead. First, he can throw it more accurately than those three; second, he can run better (albeit like a constipated duck); and three, the refs will bail him out if need be. So no sacks, no holding calls, and no punts in critical situations, since there's always DPI and roughing the passer. Playing downhill isn't a panacea, but it helps with the first two. And if they get to him fast, the refs might not have enough time to think of a penalty. (I think they sometimes throw the flag and think of a penalty afterwards.)

Is it just what I'm seeing or are more people starting to notice the Chiefs getting all the calls, especially in critical situations? If the grumbling is spreading, it might reach be a tipping point where the refs (or league, gamblers or whoever is behind the bias) realize they've gone too far and pull back at least somewhat. Even Chiefs fans have to agree that the refs are helping them win. This is not a 10-0 team.

Seasons like this one make you realize just how quirky the game is. This is not the most talented Bills team of the Allen era, yet they have the best record at this point in the season. Same with the Chiefs, who could easily be 6-4 or even 5-5. Sometimes the better teams lose via bad bounces, heroic plays by the other team, missed calls, weird weather conditions, etc., and sometimes the weaker teams win, just like 2-8 offsuit can sometimes beat pocket kings. It's just probability. I never bought the B.S. that "good teams find a way to win." That's just after-the-fact rationalization, like most post-game commentary. Seventeens games plus playoffs just isn't a big enough sample size to iron out the quirks.

Amazing. They have an all-star offense and, on paper, one of the best defenses in the league. And they'll have just three wins after today.

Yes, that is what I meant. I still hate Tom Brady, and he doesn't even play. The antipathy runs deep.

I think the whole country outside of Missouri hates that team now. They're the new Dallas.

You're forgetting the refs. It'll be roughing the pass/PI/roughing the passer/PI then a field goal for KC to win. Watch.

That Cross is a player.