HardyBoy

Absolutely, and this is not me wishing Zay back on the team...I'm just saying his biggest issue his rookie year wasn't getting open, it was getting his hands in a catching position early enough. If Allen is throwing with more touch, maybe he has more leeway with his hand positioning and he has fewer drops. Maybe if he isn't worried Allen is going to throw him a hospital ball, because Allen understands defenses, he doesn't form a habit of aligator arming passes over the middle. He has fewer drops, maybe he doesn't put as much pressure on himself and maybe he doesn't have the mental break that leads to the issue in the hotel room (unless he was on synthetic weed, which was never reported iirc). He never developed into his potential (or hasn't yet), my question is if he was playing with Josh Allen now would things be different in his development. Also, this is a pertinent question for what happens after Allen is off his rookie deal and likely doesn't have this amazing wr room because of the cap. He is going to need to make ok receivers good, like Aaron Rogers does. There likely will be another player like Zay Jones drafted by this team, and I'll be really curious to see how that player develops while being forced to contribute as a big part of the offense early.

If Allen had those touch passes, I'm thinking things go differently for Zay in Buffalo. I'm not saying he's a star #1 in that situation by any means, but his drop issues would have been much less. He got open, but he was too slow getting his hands up in time and Allen was largley only throwing super fast. Of course the what if could be what if he got a chance to play with Diggs, Brown and Beasley and be able to be in the Gabriel Davis role (not saying I'd rather have Zay over Gabriel on the team), but I think his biggest issue was he was slow getting his hands ready to catch and if the ball was coming earlier, but slower from Allen like it is this year, he would have had a lot more success.

Loved they set it up the first play of the game and then faked it over and over until the perfect moment. Like we're gonna run this all day, joking we're just gonna fake it the rest of the day until the most important play of the game. There is a bunch of research in psychology about this type of stuff. I honestly think they might be looking at how the brain processes different looks and patterns and are using that cause surprise and gain an edge.

That one I could at least see as being because it was a bad angle for ref and Milano sold it well. The Brown play is the most confusing thing I've seen since the "int" last week. He caught the ball, both feet down, ball across the plane...done. Fine, you want to say he has to make a football move or go through the ground, great, but where the ball was the moment the two feet, or knee or whatever hit when the ball is no longer out of control is where the ball should be. By this logic, a receiver catching the ball in the back of the endzone and falling out of bounds would be considered and incomplete pass. Genuinely, this was the worst call I've ever seen, probably worse than the "int" from last week. For crying out loud, this gets rid of all toe tapping catches as incomplete passes because they're out of bounds at time of the football move/going through the ground. Riveron seriously needs to go.

Can we add posts like "this topic is already being discussed in a different thread" to the point worthy list? Especially in threads that spin out of a broad general conversation and have say four pager potential? Just a total hypothetical...let's say there is a thread about Josh Allen's mechanics and someone starts a thread talking about the new things Daboll is able to add to the offense now that JA has improved his mechanics. The second thread might have spun out of, or even been inspired by the first thread, but talking about Daboll's offense at length in the mechanics thread would be off topic for that thread. Also, the two threads likely would interest different segments of the board and increase engagement (especially if the other thread has 20+ pages). The mods are actually pretty good about either letting the thread stand alone if it is a solid standalone thread, or if it is a bit redundant, but a lot of people are engaging that weren't in the 20+ page thread they'll let the convo go a bit and then merge when it slows down to give people a chance that weren't around for the start of the other thread to chat together. The people posting that the convo is already happening elsewhere, when it clearly isn't a duplicate thread is super annoying. Report it is you feel the need, and let the mods make a decision on if it should merge.

According to JT there were reads he should have made, but didn't. They also ran the exact same concept over and over and the dolphins couldn't stop it, but different teams will be able to I would think. I still have 10 minutes left in that vid, but largely he's very positive, just sees misreads still. Not dumping cold water, just this might be a factor of really good wide receivers being able to exploit man coverage because of Diggs opening up the offense for everyone. The exciting thing for me is JA struggled against man coverage (less concerned with last year's deep ball accuracy because of so many super windy games the second half when things started to click. I've been as big a JA fan/supporter of him having a chance to be a super star from the start, I really think he's going to get there, just think we need to give him a chance to work through some inevitable adversity that is almost assuredly going to come this year and giving him that room to get through it.

I was against the pick the moment it was announced because a lot of people were saying he couldn't throw with touch at all, but got on board the moment I saw highlights of him throwing with touch at the senior bowl the night of the draft (didn't pay really any attention to the leadup to the draft that year). Dude literally did the thing everyone said he could not physically do, and he did it with a weeks worth of coaching...showed people were stuck in a narrative. I don't think he's arrived yet though by any means, teams are going to start taking away what's been working, but he clearly improved his footwork and knowledge of the game. Also, he has so much more room for growth to go, it's wild!

I think the point might be a large percentage of their viewers/readers feel they are unable to escape through sports, because it's happening right outside their doors.

Nice! I'm super excited to all the outdoor stuff available to us now. At least Orlando has access to cool hiking...fort Lauderdale has just the beach basically and a few nice parks...but it's so developed. We rented in Garner for the year and then we'll figure out a bit more. If you have any suggestions for cool things to do and have a moment to pm, definitely would be appreciated. Hoping to be able to get Stephenson's BBQ tomorrow since its 10 min from my place and on the nc bbq trail. Also, have a feeling I might end up back in Rochester myself one of these days a while from now (from Penfield and went to U of R...then got the heck out to Boston, FL, and now Raleigh).

Is there a difference between 3 week IR and season ending/come back after 8bor whatever weeks IR? I would love for them to keep the 3 week IR too, I think it decreases the rush to come back early, especially from a 4 week injury, since you're going to be costing a roster spot for just the last week this way.

You know what, it's probably because of the tweets from high school.

That's the thing, they're not in the hot take business, they parody and make fun of people who do hot takes. This is the one actual hot take I've basically ever seen them do seriously...it's weird, I can't explain it. Thank you! Looking forward to some mild fall and winter weather (grew up in Rochester and then lived in Boston before moving down to ft lauderdale the last eight years). 10.5 hour drive without breaks...gonna have an 80lb dog and two cats in my car, my wife is going to have the two kids and we're just gonna power through.

Meh, he's not really a fan of any team anymore. Too much time in sports journalism will do that to you (I live in south florida and have listened to him a crap ton since 2012...well until tomorrow when we're driving/moving to Raleigh). I don't get their hate for Allen either honestly...they truly are all about nuance in just about everything except for Josh Allen...I think they're trolling a bit, but also setting up a bit when Allen gets good they can make fun of themselves...I don't think he did it on purpose, but Le Batard predicted the Lions would win the nfc north the year the went 0-16 and they've been making fun of him for that on the radio show randomly since I started listening. It's a parody of talk sports radio...if you look at it like that, you'll be in on the joke and it's pretty hilarious honestly, just takes a bit of getting used to it being a parody...basically they're parodying shows like Schopp and the Bulldog, where they have no idea on what they're watching strategy wise, but comment like they know everything without question, and likely didn't even watch the random golf round they are commenting on.

If you're not familiar with Mandolin Orange, I highly, highly recommend diving really deep into their stuff...incredibly, incredibly talented musicians and songwriters. MLK wasn't assassinated because he was trying to get black people the right to vote. He was assassinated because he was trying to bring poor people together into a unified organized voting block to demand an end to policies that kept those people poor in a real war on poverty. Stop fighting one another, your anger is with those above you pulling the puppet strings. This instant, I'm not going to even listen to someone's genuine words of anguish mentality is designed to keep people from talking to each other and coming together in understanding.

Nothing I could say would be better said than how Bob Dylan put it. We're being intentionally divided to be taken advantage of: A bullet from the back of a bush Took Medgar Evers' blood A finger fired the trigger to his name A handle hid out in the dark A hand set the spark Two eyes took the aim Behind a man's brain But he can't be blamed He's only a pawn in their game A South politician preaches to the poor white man "You got more than the blacks, don't complain You're better than them, you been born with white skin, " they explain And the negr*'s name Is used, it is plain For the politician's gain As he rises to fame And the poor white remains On the caboose of the train But it ain't him to blame He's only a pawn in their game The deputy sheriffs, the soldiers, the governors get paid And the marshals and cops get the same But the poor white man's used in the hands of them all like a tool He's taught in his school From the start by the rule That the laws are with him To protect his white skin To keep up his hate So he never thinks straight 'Bout the shape that he's in But it ain't him to blame He's only a pawn in their game From the poverty shacks, he looks from the cracks to the tracks And the hoofbeats pound in his brain And he's taught how to walk in a pack Shoot in the back With his fist in a clinch To hang and to lynch To hide 'neath the hood To kill with no pain Like a dog on a chain He ain't got no name But it ain't him to blame He's only a pawn in their game Today, Medgar Evers was buried from the bullet he caught They lowered him down as a king But when the shadowy sun sets on the one That fired the gun He'll see by his grave On the stone that remains Carved next to his name His epitaph plain Only a pawn in their game

Yup, I like that line...his name just makes it that much better too!

I'm not a fan, it's fake (fact) and annoying (opinion). I'd rather they get creative with the time between plays that is typically taken up by the crowd. It's kinda like if the late shows went to a laugh track to help cover their awkward pauses when they stopped having a studio audience. Then they adapted (at least some of them did) and changed the style to match the reality of the medium they were performing in. Give me analytics and film guys dropping in from time to time to talk about trends they're seeing. Show me more advanced stats and things to look for in body mechanics or oline techniques to look for in different situations based on the likely analytics (basically give me aTony Romo guy to drop in between plays from time to time like they do with the rules guy). Don't give me a laugh track because you can't figure out a new way to do things in this reality. The yellow line was jaring once too.

Come on people with wanting everything to be an A (don't you make fun of us millenials for stuff like that?). In the nfl a B+ is a really good grade, and to me this is a B+ (arguably his best grade yet)...an A in the nfl is like 450 yards, 4 tds and maybe a pick. That or better was actually on the table today and he left some plays on the field. Think about it this way. When Josh Allen left plays on the field the second half of last year, he'd end up with 235 yards and two total tds. If now he can leave plays on the field and still break 300 yards, help the team keep that amount of time of possession and get three tds while the team scores over 25 points and controlling the game the entire game...that is monumental progress. Also, this is how Daboll wanted to play last year, and after the first Pats game had to adjust to fewer throws, because Allen couldn't handle that amount of responsibility yet (he was a second year starter from a small school, not knocking him). If Allen is able to handle that passing volume this year, and control that time of possession...watch out!

The heck are you talking about?! Singletary had four carries week 1 last year and was very lightly used the first half of the season even before the hamstring injury: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/player/gamelogs/2019/2241251/devin-singletary

Remember, this coaching staff is very cognizant of the rookie wall and don't overuse rookies early in the season (Ford, Oliver and Singletary last year for example). Looks like Ford is still going to be rotating with Nsekhe, but instead of sitting, will play right guard when Ty is on the field. You'd much rather have AJE be fresh the second half of the season, which is when the hardest stretch of the schedule is too.

Exactly, the Bills played basically every game in 30+ mph winds the second half of the season last year. Not only do I strongly believe that had a huge impact on Allen's deep ball accuracy stats, but unquestionably has a huge impact on punting. The punters in the games against the Bills did worse than he did (he was consistently the better punter in most games unless I'm totally misremembering). Wind doesn't impact just the ball flying through the air, but more importantly the drop of the ball from the hand to the foot...but don't take my word for it, here is apro bowl punter discussing it fairly in depth:

I mean it depends. You can play well and lose. You can also play badly and win. This is a three year window. Process over outcome, which is how you build long term success. They have a plan and benchmarks they are trying to hit, and my guess is it is a lot more nuanced than their win/loss record. Edmunds was a true nfl lb last year...he made the pro bowl...Poyer and Hyde are key pieces of a top 5 defense three years in a row.

Lol, madden is having a really rough go of it currently...the complaints about the weak gameplay and complete rubbish they call a franchise mode going back to 2013 has finally gone mainstream.

We could theoretically be literally in the same position as the Bears next year, with Foles competing for the starting job. I really don't think so, JA is underrated because the things he does well aren't in line with the established narrative of him. The biggest legit knock is his deep passing accuracy, but basically every game starting with I think the eagles game through the end of the year had 30 mph+ winds and that is not being taken into account nearly enough.