Thanksgiving Day football, no Bills talk

[Seventeen]

3 hours ago, JohnNord said:

It also makes me wonder what’s going on with Hill.  Is he starting to show some decline?  Or is he just not getting ball in Miami’s newest version of offense?

 

No decline - teams have finally figured out how to slow him and Waddle up at the LOS messing up their timing routes.

    

2 hours ago, jcamm1966 said:

Dec 29 at Cleveland night game odds are under 40 degrees

 

Same with Jets game Jan 5th

Edited Friday at 02:38 PM by Seventeen

[Steptide]

Almost forgot there's another game on today. While I don't think the raiders have a chance, Carolina had the game tied with 2 mins left last week 🤷

[DallasBillsFan1]

Man the Dolphins looked like *****.  No run defense, can't tackle, missed tackles, Tua overthrowing receivers ... yet somehow he got 394 yards.  It may be as simple as they can't play in cold weather.  They are hot and cold from week to week.  

[klos63]

2 minutes ago, DallasBillsFan1 said:

Man the Dolphins looked like *****.  No run defense, can't tackle, missed tackles, Tua overthrowing receivers ... yet somehow he got 394 yards.  It may be as simple as they can't play in cold weather.  They are hot and cold from week to week.  

I doubt it's because of the temperature. 

They're not a good team.  Lost a lot on defense from last season,  Chubb, Phillips and Wilkins. O line isn't very good and I think McDaniels isn't coaching well,

can't get the ball to Hill.

Tua is solid,  Achane is very good,  that's about it. 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

 

[JohnNord]

17 minutes ago, klos63 said:

I doubt it's because of the temperature. 

They're not a good team.  Lost a lot on defense from last season,  Chubb, Phillips and Wilkins. O line isn't very good and I think McDaniels isn't coaching well,

can't get the ball to Hill.

Tua is solid,  Achane is very good,  that's about it. 

I don’t think weather is everything but this group just don’t seem to like to play in cold weather.  
 

During the broadcast is was reported that the team shipped over 3,500 pounds of cold weather gear.  Keep in mind we’re talking 27 degree weather which is cold, but it’s not like it was sub zero temps.  
 

The larger issue is that Miami struggles against stronger teams and some of these games have taken place in cold weather.

 

But I also don’t think the weather narrative is nothing either. 

[mannc]

12 hours ago, BillsFan130 said:

Miami looking at 5-7.

Gonna have to run the table just to have a chance to get in

Miami have an easy schedule from here on in.  I’d be shocked if a 10-7 team doesn’t get a wild card this year in the AFC.

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

7 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Black Friday morning reflections on the late game:

 

- I know Philadelphia are getting a lot of love but I think Green Bay might be the second best team in the conference. They battled through the first half of the season with a nicked up Quarterback but they are going to be a problem in the post season. My only reservation is I don't think they match up great vs the Lions should they meet their division rival in January;

The Eagles are Top 2 in yards against, and best against the pass. DeJean verses St. Brown, Jamison Williams verses Mitchell and Slay. 
 

7 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

- I am an unabashed Jordan Love fan. He is just such an aggressive decision maker and downfield thrower. He makes the odd mistake because he reads everything long to short but while he is the Pack QB they are never going to walk off a field not knowing. In an NFC lacking QB stars, Jordan Love is a QB star;
 

He’s got a huge arm, but does he have a body of work?

 

7 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

- As for Miami's offense, look I know Achane is a hell of a talented running back but they are at risk of over using him. I felt it at times vs Buffalo and I definitely felt it in that first half last night. Every time you throw to Achane rather than downfield to Waddle or Hill it is kind of a win for the defense. They did get Hill going a bit in the 2nd half but the game was already away from them. When you have two game breaking receivers with elite speed why allow yourself to turn into a dink and dunk running back and tight end offense? It makes no sense;

I think the best answer so far in this thread is Tua just isn’t very good. 
 

They’re limited because their QB has a weak arm and no mobility. So it’s a ton of J. Smith and Devin Achane because it’s easier to complete dumpoffs before the pass rush arrives. 

 

Armstead is barely able to practice any more, Green Bay was in their backfield all night. 

 

7 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

- This game was an advert for DVOA. The last few weeks I have lost count of the number of talking heads lining up to tell us how "Miami's defense has come around." Aaron Schatz of DVOA fame was on Schopp and Bulldog last week and they asked him directly what the numbers said and he said "no, not really they have just played some bad offenses" and would you believe it against a good offense they immediately give up 30, and the Packers were in cruise control 2nd half and could have scored more; 

Miami is a patchwork defense. Lost Wilkins and Van Ginkel in Free Agency. Jaylen Phillips out for the season again, Bradley Chubb hurt all season, they’ve never been able to settle on a good #2 cornerback, Cam Smith doesn’t seem to be working out, Jerome Baker gone, Brandon Seiler missed time, Javon Holland missed time. 

 

 

7 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

- Where does it leave Miami? I think in a "must win out" situation in terms of making the playoffs but even if they don't 9-8 might be enough to make sure everyone stays in a job (most particularly GM Chris Grier). They only face one more team with a winning record - Houston in two weeks - and they themselves are wobbling. The path is narrow but a path remains.

Miami is done. There is no path to get to the Playoffs, let alone be dangerous once they get there.

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

1 hour ago, Seventeen said:

 

No decline - teams have finally figured out how to slow him and Waddle up at the LOS messing up their timing routes.

    

 

Same with Jets game Jan 5th

Miami just doesn’t seem to widen the field enough on those passing plays it’s so odd…idk if it’s a tua limitation or what.  The defense knows how fast the ball is coming out and more or less exactly which third of the field it’s going to when it’s a passing play. GB did a nice job stuffing the run and got ahead pretty big early which makes that play action pass trickery not as effective 

7 minutes ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

 

Idk if I buy that 🤣. If Brady got benched over an injury guarantee I don’t think he’d like it a whole lot 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

10 minutes ago, mannc said:

Miami have an easy schedule from here on in.  I’d be shocked if a 10-7 team doesn’t get a wild card this year in the AFC.

They’ll lose again for sure.  One of Houston, SF, Cleveland will definitely beat them.  Shanahan knows that scheme very well so I don’t think there’s much of a chance they beat SF 

[njbuff]

Miami’s O sure looked like world beaters in OP.

 

I think Miami is a team in limbo and will be that way for the foreseeable future.

[GunnerBill]

4 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

The Eagles are Top 2 in yards against, and best against the pass. DeJean verses St. Brown, Jamison Williams verses Mitchell and Slay. 
 

Yea, the Eagles are a better matchup against the Lions. Fair play to Fangio he has turned that D around after the first 3 weeks. But I do think the Packers are better Quarterbacked and better coached than the Eagles. They just matchup less well against the Lions. 

 

4 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

He’s got a huge arm, but does he have a body of work?

He is definitely building it. He has done enough already this year despite suffering injuries and missing 3 games to back up his breakout year last year. I think if I was picking an NFC Quarterback to start a franchise with tomorrow it is an absolute no brainer I'd pick Jordan Love. 

 

4 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

I think the best answer so far in this thread is Tua just isn’t very good. 
 

They’re limited because their QB has a weak arm and no mobility. So it’s a ton of J. Smith and Devin Achane because it’s easier to complete dumpoffs before the pass rush arrives. 

Nah that's way too simplistic. Tua has thrown down the field plenty the last two years and it isn't like everything to Smith is short. The Dolphins are struggling to find a way to get their two best players the ball, and while I don't absolve Tua totally of blame, I think it is more on coaching struggling to adjust to the new rules and the way teams are defending them. 

 

4 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Armstead is barely able to practice any more, Green Bay was in their backfield all night. 

That is definitely a factor. The two guys they lose up front in the offseason, plus Armstead's ever increasing frailty (his play has actually declined as well) is not helping. Their cap situation is rough too, they are mortgaged to the hilt. 

 

4 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Miami is a patchwork defense. Lost Wilkins and Van Ginkel in Free Agency. Jaylen Phillips out for the season again, Bradley Chubb hurt all season, they’ve never been able to settle on a good #2 cornerback, Cam Smith doesn’t seem to be working out, Jerome Baker gone, Brandon Seiler missed time, Javon Holland missed time. 

Agree with this. I don't think their defense is very good. I have said it repeatedly. I was just making the point that as ever bald stats don't tell the entire tale. In the Dolphins case DVOA was much closer to the truth on their defense than anything else. 

 

4 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Miami is done. There is no path to get to the Playoffs, let alone be dangerous once they get there.

I don't agree. Winning out and being 10-7 isn't totally off the table. the path is narrow, but there is a path. 

[mannc]

9 minutes ago, Generic_Bills_Fan said:

They’ll lose again for sure.  One of Houston, SF, Cleveland will definitely beat them.  Shanahan knows that scheme very well so I don’t think there’s much of a chance they beat SF 

Oh, I don't think they'll run the table, but it's far from impossible.

[saundena]

13 hours ago, That's No Moon said:

McDaniel looks jaundiced.

I thought the same thing.  He looks ill.

[GunnerBill]

14 minutes ago, mannc said:

Oh, I don't think they'll run the table, but it's far from impossible.

 

Exactly where I am.

[BillsFan130]

49 minutes ago, mannc said:

Miami have an easy schedule from here on in.  I’d be shocked if a 10-7 team doesn’t get a wild card this year in the AFC.

Denver and Miami can both finish 10-7. (Chargers I think get 10-11 wins)

 

If Miami does run the table, I think it's very possible one team with 10 wins doesn't make it 

[Malazan]

[MikePJ76]

1 hour ago, Steptide said:

Almost forgot there's another game on today. While I don't think the raiders have a chance, Carolina had the game tied with 2 mins left last week 🤷

I actually did forget until I just read this so thanks!

[BillsSbSoon]

They’re just not a mentally or physically tough team and it starts with their coach. The guy is a skinny nerd who can draw plays up when they’re front running but as soon as they get figured out they’re done. And then obviously the cold issue. They’re just soft