finn

Surprise studs: Knox, Brown, Wallace and (if you don't mind one more) Sanders Surprise duds: Williams, Boettger, Dawkins Haven't seen Boettger mentioned in this thread, but watch him on the replays and (negative) highlights. When he's in and there's a screwup on the line, he usually appears at least partly responsible. I would say Williams is doing even worse, though. He seems to be mailing it in. Those studs, though, wow. And Oliver is coming on. In fact, the whole defense is impressive, from top to bottom. I'd like to see them get home on the pass rush a bit more maybe, but otherwise they're just superb.

Think about what it would look like if the running backs had actual holes to run through and Allen had time for all his reads without having to dodge one or two rushers first.

Interesting the way the Bills chose to improve the running game, by carrying three backs. Breida brings a different dimension from Moss and Singletary, who are different from each other, too. As long as the O-line is just below average instead of abysmal, this move looks like it can work. More choices for Daboll.

I hope they hold them to three points rather that play the prevent defense and let them make score respectable. I'm in no mood for respectable.

I don't see a problem with Allen or the receivers or the running backs. It's all, once again, on the line. They can't run block, they can't pass block, even against four rushers. The success the Bills have had and will have will depend entirely on the other pieces. So frustrating. Are they such poor athletes? Or are they just very, very badly coached? I mean, it's every game, every opponent. They're as bad as I've seen on any team at any time.

It looked like the right guard was beat. Is that Ford?

I'm always appalled by how little homework most major media pundits and broadcasters do. ESPN, SI, the NFL site, PFF, the networks... Most of them seem to wing it based on impressions anyone would pick up seeing game highlights and glancing at some obvious stats. The average poster here knows more about the Bills than most of these guys, who confidently predict and proclaim with no idea of what is going on behind the scenes. So I don't take heart in their confidence in the Bills. I'm more encouraged by the betting line; those people are putting their money on the table.

Bummer about Zimmer. Time for Harrison to shine.

Kelly, yes, or Brady, Manning, Bledsoe... Any number of immobile quarterbacks. Allen doesn't get enough credit for his escapability. He's like Houdini back there--he has to be. In fact, he might actually do better dodging one charging D-lineman and rolling out with two more running after him. Either way, his excellent play is allowing his blockers get away with it with poor play. I wonder if they've regressed because they had little incentive to do better, or even maintain their mediocre standards. That's not quite fair: Williams and Dawkins played well last year, and Morse has been steady. But I think most observers would agree that all of them except possibly Morse, are playing worse this year. That points to coaching.

Not sure if even the Thurmanator could run behind this line. Moss and Singletary evidently had the lowest yards before contact in the league last year and so far this year as well (.22 this year!). Even to the extent that they're missing holes, I can't blame them entirely, since they must get shell shocked back there, much like Allen appears to be at times when the pass protection finally gives him time. It could very well be that Moss and Singletary are actually excellent backs, and that their ok yards-per-carry average is actually extraordinary given how awful the run blocking is, much like Allen's amazing ability to sidestep the rush masks its abysmal pass protection. We could be looking at the worst offensive line in NFL history, at least the lineup we saw last week. Dawkins and Williams regressing badly, Boettger a clueless, ill-trained backup, and Ford with his 5-11 pressures/game. Only Morse seems to be adequate--and no more than adequate. Put it this way: insert truly average backs and an average QB, and the world would see plainly how bad this line is.

I would prefer them to bring up Antonio Williams from the practice squad. I think a straight-ahead, pounding running back with good speed is what we could use. I don't blame Moss or Singletary a bit for the poor running game; yes, they missed chances here and there, but when yards before contact is .22 yards--eight inches!--you can't blame the backs. Maybe Ford and Boettger (or Bobby Johnson) will get the message when Williams slams into their backs three times in a row. For this one game, I would rather see three yards and a cloud of dust on most drives, just so the line remembers what run blocking is.

And on the Titans.

This. The evidence is now clear that he messed up royally, possibly to the point of ruining what might have been a Super Bowl year. He also didn't draft a corner until the late rounds, another area that will become a liability if injuries hit. Doubling down, he also declined to trade for these positions. To be fair, it's possible that he's relying on McDermott's judgment that the OL is Super Bowl quality, and maybe McDermott is relying on the OL coach's judgment. But Dawkins appears to be the only excellent lineman we have; Morse seems to hold his own, and Spencer Brown, to judge from the Athletic's All-22 breakdowns, is doing quite well. But Boettger and Ford have to be two of the worst players in the league. This site was screaming for Beane to take Creed Humphrey, a budding all-pro in Kansas City, in the second round. Boogie Basham looks good, but what a blunder not to take Humphrey, just like it was a blunder to take Ford instead of Metcalf in the second round in 2019. He can't hit them all, but if we're going to praise him for his hits, it's fair game to nail him for his blunders, especially when the solution was blindingly obvious at the time, not only in hindsight. Plenty of blame to go around for this awful loss, but in my view the biggest share goes to Beane.

Not surprised. Did you expect him to blame Ford or Boettger for letting d-linemen in his face all day, or point out that Beane passed on Creed Humphrey and other interior o-lineman, then sat on his hands as the trade deadline passed? Think of what you would have said about him if he had said any of that. He's playing his role right, just like he did during the game. There's not a qb in history who would have done much better than him. I blame him for the hero interception, but that kind of play is part and parcel of his fierce competitiveness. Like the OP said, he fought his heart out when at least some of his teammates were taking the day off. And you're calling him trash.

That's absurd to call him "trash." So you think Brady or Mahomes would have done better? He had rushers in his face, he was getting hit constantly, he had no run game and no running lanes himself, and his receivers were dropping balls and mostly not getting open. Yet you're happy to call him "trash." I hope you're just venting. If not, well, I'll stop there.

This isn't on Daboll or Allen or McDermott, or even Ford. It's on Beane and his assumption that he was fine with such a poor offensive line. Even after the draft, he could have done something, but he didn't. It's a Super Bowl caliber team everywhere but on the line, which isn't even mediocre; it's one of the worst in the league. If it wasn't for Allen's incredible ability to escape, the evidence would be so overwhelming that even Bean would have to admit it.

How about putting in Jamil Douglas. Could he be worse than Ford? (Could I be worse than Ford?)

Still plenty of time? And the defense is playing great?

So they're taking away the deep ball, taking away the short ball, and somehow still overwhelming the offensive line on literally every play. And this is one of the worst defenses in football. What is going on? Is it really just the OL? I'm genuinely curious.

Wouldn't it be nice to blow out a team from the very start, on both sides of the ball? Just once?

Would you elaborate on how he burned official bridges? I recall him reportedly alienating officials calling a Patriots game years ago, but was he somehow blacklisted afterwards? He does seem like he never draws holding penalties, but, if that is in fact the case, I never heard why.

I recall there was a woman who was one of the most informed, thoughtful posters on the board, but she left because (she said) she found the discussions too toxic. Does this ring a bell to anyone?

There goes the shutout...

This. To be fair, Beane can't put blue-chip or even red-chip players everywhere, but he seems to be just crossing his fingers at guard. (I won't say anything about Wyatt Teller, I won't, I won't!)

I remember that long drive where they just fed it to Emmitt Smith play after play. And Levy/Corey refused to play their two run-stuffing rookie defensive tackles, John Parella and James Patton, sticking with Jeff Wright and Mike Lodish even when they were being humiliated. Thanks for bringing it up.