WhitewalkerInPhilly

The thing is, even if Lamar comes back I expect Cinci to still be heavily favored. If Tua comes back it's a much closer game

Everyone likes to pile on the zone defense that Frazier does in spite of the fact that we ended the season #2 in points allowed

I personally don't see it happening, but I would agree that Smith's track record and zone scheme is the best veteran coach we would see if Frazier goes.

From your lips to God's ears

Ugh. I did not want the 1 pm Sunday slot. One more day for Tua to possibly recover. CBS is the one football channel I get the worst reception on and I can't record and I have stuff going on so I'll miss the first half.

so wait, do we not suck anymore?

Not going to lie I had that thought. Now that Damar is looking like a full recovery I don't think it's ghoulish to ask what we do at the position. Bedford is a zone player and if he is slower on his return I'd see what he can do as a FS. At the least he has a higher upside than Marlowe

Assuming that the proposal goes through, which I think it will, I think it's a compromise that no one is perfectly happy with but the main parties affected get something: The Bills get forebearance for losing a dear teammate. They still rank over the Bengals and have home games or neutral sites in their path (barring week 18 surprises) The Bengals get to lock up their division. The only way their home field is in doubt is if they lose twice in the year to the Ravens and even then they get a coin flip. The Ravens get screwed out of a chance to take the North but after losing to the Steelers in SNF I have a hard time being upset for them. The Chiefs get unfairly rewarded (unless they choke and we don't rendering it moot) but 90% of why I wanted the #1 seed was to not play them in Arrowhead. I can live with this

I do love that he asked about the game. I know it's a minor thing but it's something to love about the guy

They weren't wrong

Best news I've heard all day. It's about as much as we could have asked for

I was sick to my stomach last night. But as pointed out, the same thing can happen from a line drive or an errant puck. I legitimately don't know if I'll ever have this conversation with my son.

I never thought I would say it, but Cincy has been a class act throughout all of this. I literally have nothing bad to say about their handling of everything from the players to the coaches to the fans.

I'd join you. With a tire iron

If so he won't for long.

At this point, I'm fine if the Bills forfeit. I can't imagine seeing that happen in front of me, not knowing it a coworker will live or die and then being told "ok, warm yourselves up and get back to work"

I mean targeting RT was always the game plan.

I'd honestly rather be a Jets fan than a Dolphins fan. With the Jets, you knew that the Zach Wilson gamble would have to play itself out. And while they still need a QB, that they need one is a foregone conclusion. They've hit on draft picks more than I'd like. In comparison, you have the Dolphins who are up against the cap, have no 1st round picks and no idea on Tua's long term viability

I don't think it was ever truly in doubt

I don't know why, but I feel good. There has been so much Bengals hype, and they've talked so much trash while the Bills remained quiet and focused. Bengals rely on running an airshow and beating teams on the blitz. The Bills defense is about forcing precision drives and getting there with 4 rushers. Bengals starting RT is out. Bengals D is bottom 1/3 of the league at stopping scrambling QBs. That's where Josh eats. I'm not saying it's a done deal, but I legitimately like the way we line up against the Bengals. I think all the hardship the Bills had is making them gel at the right time. I don't think it's easy but as long as 17 is under center I won't count the Bills out of anything.

Yup. At this point they are handing over billboard material. It's not that talking heads are pointing out scheme matchups. It's "Burrow good, Chase good, Josh Allen inconsistent" and that's where it stops

Thank you! That's what has been driving me crazy. The Bengals are legit, but we have more wins against a tougher resume.

That's what the Bengals did vs Mahomes. And, due respect meant, I think there's a few reasons why Burrow is a different beast. The comparisons I keep hearing to Burrow are Brady: throws accurate, can run better than you think. He is a classic drop back passer working at a high level. When a play breaks down. In comparison Mahomes is more willing to improvise. I want Burrow to feel the heat more aggressively.

That's part of why I am hopeful for this matchup. La'el Collins is now out for the season and their O-line is battered. If there is a time and place for our front four to be able to get consistent pressure against an O-line like we did vs the Rams in the opener it's now. That lets us play our standard nickel D that we got to at the start of the season.

My annoyance isn't that people are picking the Bengals to win. They are a good team. It's a combination of two things: One, the sheer volume of people taking the Bengals over the Bills. Two, the reasons I keep hearing are problems with the Bills that the Bengals also are dealing with to an extent or have it worse, and yet those issues are somehow backbreaking killers for the Bills and no big deal for the Bengals. This illustrates my point nicely. I have heard time and time again about how insane the receiving group the Bengals have. That Chase, Higgins and Boyd are the most dangerous trio in the NFL, moreso than Hill and Waddle. At the same time, I keep hearing about how Josh is a one man show with no one but Diggs pulling their weight. And look, the Bills have done more with seemingly less.