Punch

Allen is 4th in TD passes this season, and 3 away from 2nd most. Why does the fact that he also scored a bunch of rushing TDs negatively impact the odds of winning the Super Bowl?

It seems like most talking heads are picking Kansas City, and a lot of them are treating it as "heroic" or "gutsy". I've watched several of these commentators act like it's a spicy hot take to pick Patrick Mahomes. The Vegas line favors the Bills by a slim margin due to homefield, but no one is disrespecting Mahomes. Let's face it, picking KC is safe. Their AFC playoff record in recent years is phenomenal, and no one doubts that. But it's conventional wisdom rather than actual analysis of the 2023 season. It's lazy at best because they're trying to have it both ways: the Chiefs will win and it's also going to be a classic Mahomes-Allen QB duel. I think these two teams in 2023 are vastly different than in prior seasons. I think the Bills are locked in and focused better than 2021 or any of the 90s teams. I think the Chiefs are beatable on the road and the strength of their defense is overblown. I think it'll be the Bills by a billion.

The Ravens D is swarming, but I'm not impressed with Bobby Slowik at all.

This version of the Buffalo Bills is legitimately tough. I never thought I'd be impressed by a punter gutting it out.

The players overwhelmingly wanted Pierce. The inmates can't run the asylum, but they clearly responded to him. Dan Campbell's success in Detroit is a recent example of a player's coach that earned the respect of the lockerroom, I bet that was a factor. Not to mention, quality candidates are also probably not lining up for the job.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but with Dodson back in and Spector out, promoting Klein puts us at the same number of LBs as the Pittsburgh game if Bernard is active.

I'd take it obviously, but I didn't realize how ugly his Super Bowl stats were:

Not to discount Mahomes, but to your point: Eli Manning also has 2 rings. I certainly wouldn't take him over Josh Allen.

💯

You already unambiguously acknowledged that you're irrational, you don't need to keep proving it.

I "would go here" because of course it matters. Suggesting otherwise is nonsensical. I'm not discounting them by any means, but the Chiefs struggled all year and performance vs. quality of opponent is important.

I keep coming back to the fact KC only beat 3 teams with a winning record, and only 1 playoff team: Miami (twice), 9-8 Jacksonville and 9-8 Cincy (w/Jake Browning at QB). It's still Mahomes, Andy Reid, etc.--- but that matters.

For context, the kid is Nick Wright:

It's only anecdotal, but every football fan I know (in northern Virginia) is sick of the Chiefs. Mahomes' postgame reaction regarding the Offside only amplified that conviction.

Hey, I'm just a rational, even keeled casual observer that mysteriously reemerges apparition-like to utterly s**t on anything remotely resembling a positive comment related to the subject of the very message board of which I'm a member. Where else would you rather be?

I've watched 13 seconds several times: Josh's 75 yard TD to Gabe plus the Bills' final two drives, but that's it. Bass lining up to kickoff at 13 seconds is the same for me as Norwood lining up in Tampa. Reminding myself of that pain without being fully immersed in it is cathartic. I simply can't allow Josh's performance to become a kind of lost media.

I think he's no longer up to the task. He hasn't looked like himself since midseason, and even then he was banged up.

Bills by a billion.