finn

Wow. Allen, Hollins, Brady, all having career-worst days, with Brown along to help them suck.

Or maybe the ball boy or one of the cheerleaders instead of Hollins. I mean, the way he tracked that long ball? You see that in high school, maybe, but not the pros.

At least everyone loves Mack Hollins. Great to have such a nice guy on the team! Did you know he goes around barefoot? That cute habit alone is enough to have him on the team.

College programs have better receiving corps than this. Pathetic, Beane.

How many missed tackles in that drive? I lost count.

The "everybody eats" idea is just putting the best face on a bad situation, which is that Allen has no weapons besides Kincaid and Shakir, who are better complementary receivers. Hollins is a journeyman, as we're seeing, and Samuels... is he injured? Just not good? You don't want to give away the farm, but it would be a shame to waste an entire season with this WR crew.

He doesn't trust Hollins, and I don't blame him.

Why an empty backfield?

That is a bad receiver, folks.

He is fast, but not WR fast. He ran a 4.54 at the combine. I realize speed isn't everything, but you want safeties who can run down running backs when the coverage is blown. For example, Bishop ran a 4.45. (N.B., Simmons is even slower than Hamlin.)

I surprised they elevated Branson Deen over Eli Ankou, who had some impactful games for them. Curious to see what Deen has got. I'm mildly surprised they elevated Shavers over Hamler, since they already have two big, relatively slow guys in Coleman and Hollins. Points to a run-heavy, short-passing game, which isn't surprising with the defensive injuries, but with Allen at quarterback, it's like using your Porsche to haul firewood.

Hamlin watching Henry run away from him was depressing. The same thing happened to Poyer with Cook, but at least he's ancient. Hamlin is only 26. He's not getting any faster. What's up with Edwards? He was a solid starter for KC, and now he's behind the likes of Rapp and Hamlin. I had high hopes for the Edwards-Bishop pairing.

He had a good second half until he evidently got giddy and tried the trick play. They score a touchdown there, and it's a game, with the defense fired up and the offense hitting on all cylinders. The turnover, especially how embarrassing it was, completely changed the complexion of the game. On both sides of the ball, the mindset was that after the Henry TE to start the game. In other words, I don't think Brady has been exposed as incompetent or anything. On the contrary, the debacle might have served as a needed reality check after three successful game. He'll be humble and hungry, eager to prove that he's not an utter idiot.

Sounds like a good plan, but what if they stack the box? Who does Allen throw to, besides the double-covered Kincaid? Houston has probably figured out that Coleman is only effective on back-shoulder throws, Hollins can be covered by linebackers, and MVS is simply not a threat, downfield or anywhere else. That leaves Knox, and you don't want your game plan hanging on Knox. Still, I'm optimistic, because Cook is a real threat as a receiver, and Allen is playing well enough to make even get real yards even out of the likes of Hollins, Knox, and MVS. If he has even a slightly off day, though (that is, plays like Mahomes or Lamar), we're cooked.

Nice to see a post that's not about Diggs.

Miami has great receivers but no quarterback, we have a great quarterback with no receivers. I'll take our problem any day.

Brady is also probably frustrated with himself for blowing a big comeback last game by getting cute. He's going to be very focused. I'm thinking a committed (boring) ground attack with 12 personnel with an occasional play-action deep pass to MVS and deep outs to Coleman.

It should put his job in question, rushing to put his hot take into print. What an amateur. On the other hand, shooting his mouth off without thinking would make him perfectly qualified from any of the NFL shows on TV....

What positions do you see them prioritizing next year in the draft and free agency?

That's the point I was going to make. Easy to call for patience/let him learn on the job, but if he's hurting the team, as Brown did for years, then it's legitimate to question his place in the starting lineup. I'd say it's still a bit early to bench him, especially given the importance of line chemistry, but I'd let him know he's on a short leash.

They've lost Brown, Pacheco, Rice, and Hardman. Poor babies. The Bills have lost Milano, Taron, Bernard, Miller, Rapp, and possibly Shakir.

Rather than pay for another kicker who may or may not be better, I would bring in a personal kicking coach, which wouldn't count against the cap. I don't believe they have one. He's like an excellent golfer with the yips.

Well, let's be honest. On defense, Hamlin should be on the practice squad, Bishop isn't ready, losing Rapp may be a blessing, the coaches don't appear to trust Edwards, Lewis is a liability, Dorian and Spector can be exploited, and Epenesa is just a warm body. On offense, with Shakir injured, the Bills don't have a single starting-quality wide receiver. On the plus side, Rousseau, Benford, Douglas, and (at times) Oliver are blue-chip players, along with Taron and Bernard when they return. The O-line is a real asset, Cook, Shakir, and Kincaid are excellent, and we have the best quarterback in the league. Add this all up, and it looks like the Bills just need time--time to heal their starters and develop their draft picks. IF they reach the playoffs at full health and IF Bishop and Coleman reach their potential this year, they could go all the way. Otherwise, it will be a rollercoaster year that will end in December against the Ravens, Chiefs, Houston, or Bengals. Even then, they'll be in great shape for next year. Either outlook is impressive given the Miller, White, and Miller debacles. Kudos to both Beane and McDermott.

Is it possible that Allen audibled to that play? It might not be on Brady at all. Maybe it was Allen feeling cocky, reckless, rash, adolescent, and jackass-y.

Wide Right, Forward Lateral, 13 Seconds, and now the Trick Play that lost the game.