Alphadawg7

It’s like you didn’t even watch the game. We were down FIVE OL including 3 starters. Lost Knox. DIGGS was hurting. But somehow you only see the defensive injuries? I mean our backup center cost us a FG at half time which would have been the difference In the game. This thread is absurd

Merry Christmas! It’s negative day for you! Bet you’re excited!

I can't see why they would put one of the top CB's in the league back at safety, especially one already having to adjust to being back after a bad injury that would then have to learn a new position at the same time. Plus, we have some young Safeties that have shown promise who can step in already. Look at last year, when Tre went down our young guys did a pretty good job filling in. And losing Tre last year was a bigger hit than Hyde will be this year. I don't foresee any drastic moves or changes unless it becomes an apparent issue.

At this point, like most people, I hope Poyer can play Sunday to bring some veteran leadership to the secondary with our young bucks. Hyde is a very good player and will always be missed, but I have confidence in the guys behind him to step in and play too. But on a more serious note...not gonna lie, this Hyde situation is giving me Aaron Williams vibes. It's usually pretty serious news when players start searching for 2nd opinions. AW had to retire not because he couldn't play at a high level, his neck injury poised higher risk for severe risks in the event of another neck injury that included paralysis or even death. So I am praying that is not the case for Hyde. I just really really hope for Hyde's sake that whatever it is, that it's both not career threatening or even season ending. It would be a shame if he wasn't on the field when we won the SB, he has given so much to this team since being here. Dude deserves that moment, so I want him out there more because he deserves it than I do because of need. As far as the team impact on him being out this week and the possibility it could be longer or even the season...This is where more kudos goes to Beane. He has built this team with the kind of depth we need to withstand inevitable injuries throughout the season, and that starts with his history of strong drafts. So I have confidence on the next man up guys on this roster at most positions to come in and get the job done.

Ill be honest, I was cautiously optimistic about Mitch there. Our staff and players seem to really talk him up and seeing improved play while he was here and getting better coaching. And considering how inept the staff was in Chicago under Nagy, I thought maybe he could be well suited for the Steelers given they had talent at WR, TE, and RB and his mobility could help mitigate the poor OL. Especially since he has been here with Josh this past year. And overall, I just wanted to see him do well, seemed like a real good dude. However, in week 2, I was already throwing in the towel on him and saying they should bench him at halftime, especially since I had the Steelers in one of my Parlay cards haha. But, a game and a half in and I was like he is still the same dude he was in Chicago and I already thought they should have let Pickett play the 2nd half. When that game ended, I actually thought for sure Pickett would start game 3 and was kind of surprised they didn't. Now normally, I wouldn't be so quick to pull the vet and put the rookie in, but the reality is that Trubisky did not beat out Pickett in the preseason, he did not prove to be the better QB. They had a pretty equal preseason, and he got the starting job by default for experience. If Mitch had decisively played better than Pickett, then I would be more patient and assume that the rookie is too far behind to be ready. But given they played pretty equal, might as well make the switch now because the offense can't get much more anemic than it is under Mitch and Pickett probably even right now gives them the best chance to win. Sorry Mitch, I was rooting for you...but I think it's pretty obvious it is time to make a switch and start the rookies on-field development now.

THANKS! Great write up! Bummer about Hyde, and I am not talking about even this game. The moment he was seeking a 2nd opinion we knew that what ever news he got on his injury was not something he liked, meaning it probably meant some sort of sustained time missed, possibly even needed some sort of season ending surgery. I really hope it ends up being relatively short term, not only because he such a good player, but just because this team feels on the verge of something special, and he has been a big part of getting to this point for a long time now. I would be sick for him if something happened where he had to miss the rest of the season. I agree on all your guesses too, that seems to be pretty spot on based on what we know. I think Dane will return sometime between next week and the KC game, and probably against Balt or Pitt. I really hope Poyer can go, its gonna be tough being down our whole starting secondary plus Phillips up front who has been wreaking havoc this season. Speaking of Phillips, I am concerned about how long he might be out. To be ruled out this soon on a hamstring injury is pretty significant. That tells me its not a minor hammy issue, and these things can linger and take a while to heal. So, it could lead to Phillips being out several weeks, but lets hope not.

A fellow Bills fan friend of mind just text me "Hyde is out. If these pu**ies cant beat us this week, they never will" We already talked about Hyde yesterday, so felt like he got new info or something. Has anyone seen anything? I asked him if he heard that was confirmed, but he hasn't gotten back to me yet.

Obviously this last game stat line was so big because Davis was out. But either way, Diggs and Allen look like they are out for blood on every play. This whole team seems to be playing with a chip on its shoulder after the KC game. It feels like they are out to step on the gas for all 4 quarters and avoid games even being close enough again for that to even be an option. And its a sight to behold so far and a whole lot of fun.

That had already been corrected, and was just a typo. And again, I have said over and over again I still think we win the game and Allen is who I take in a shootout 100% of the time. Just pointing out the importance of this game given our schedule ahead. Next 4 games are @Mia, @Balt, Pitt, @KC. Miami has Buf, @Cincy, @jets, Minn. If Miami manages to upset us this week, their next 3 games are all games they can win. Cincy has looked bad, Jets are the jets, and Minn looked horrific against the Eagles. Where we have to face 2 of the top AFC teams and offenses on the road in 2 of those next 3 weeks. And again, I think we can win all those games too, just pointing out their schedule is a bit easier than ours the next few weeks, so I think that makes this game a little more important as we don't want to risk going down multiple games early in the season to a divisional foe.

Yeah I agree, but I do think that both Lamar and the Ravens offense is better this year than before. Its in Baltimore too, but that D will definitely get carved up by Allen and this offense. Just a lot of speed back to back weeks while being down a lot of defensive players. Like you, I am still confident we win both games, but still, we have the tougher opponent in week 4, so I think this Miami game is just of higher importance than a typical week 4 game.

Yeah, I was never interested in CMC this offseason, but was very interested in Barkley. I thought if we could say flip Devin or Moss and like a 4th round pick for him, it was something I would have pulled the trigger on. At the same time, I am definitely a believer in Devin, so I am not worried about the run game too much. I mean our lack of run game is strictly by choice, not from the lack of ability too. Devin has shown he is quite good when given the opportunities, but the pass game has just been decimating defenses and unstoppable, so they really haven't needed to run much yet. But when we do, I really like our new blocking scheme and think Devin can be even better when given sufficient rush attempts like he was the last part of the season last year and playoffs. I just wish they would stop rotating Moss in, let Devin take those rush attempts, it's not like he has a heavy workload. I also can't wait to see Cook get more involved too, still think he will be a nice weapon for us as the season wears on.

Sorry I meant the Ravens, but I was just talking about going to the Chiefs game with a friend on the phone and had Chiefs on my mind. Brain fart, I will edit, good catch.

My bad, you are correct, I was mistakenly thinking about Saquan when both were being talked about during the offseason. Thanks for catching that. Ok, so yeah...0% chance IMHO we would trade for CMC then. If the one year rental is off the table, there is just no way we will absorb any contract at RB given we have other important players contracts looming as it is.

I still think we win this game too...but for obvious reasons, the pile up of injuries certainly makes this a more dangerous game. BUT...there is a reality here about this week, and that is the Fins game is going to be more important than I think some people realize for a week 3 game. If Miami wins, they go to 3-0 and travel to struggling Cincy next week, a game the Fins would be favored in given how poorly Cincy has played thus far. We would then be 2-1 and headed to Balt for what seems like one of our toughest road games of our whole schedule, and potentially still not a full strength still on defense. That would put us in the position of facing a potential 2 game deficit after 4 weeks to the Fins in our division. I still think we beat Miami with the injuries, because like you I like our depth and our ability to disrupt Tua while Allen and the offense should still put up 40+ points. While all divisional games are important, given the nature of our records and who we play next, this game against Miami is more important than a typical week 3 game. So going in short handed definitely makes things a little more dicey.

Damn, yeah I agree that this suggests the probability he out this week is pretty high. We are looking at possibly playing the Fins in Miami without our entire starting secondary playing. I still think we will win this game even if they all miss the game. Just going to take those guys up front disrupting Tua enough that allows our offense to outpace the Fins. And in the worst case scenario happens and we have to win this game in an old fashion shootout, best believe my money is on Allen to out duel Tua.

No chance on any RB not in the final year of their deal, and even then, we still wouldn't likely give up a trade asset for a RB when we barely run the ball, and when we do, Devin does quite well. OBJ is a possibility, although not a certainty.

I should clarify, it wasn't that I thought Frazier was the problem, I know he is a top DC in the NFL. But there were times his defensive play call style was frustratingly soft and it cost us. But I am loving what I am seeing from the defense as a whole, as I am sure we all are. But its more than just the scoreboard, its how this defense is playing on the field with a more aggressive style. And like we just agreed on, the performance and the new confidence they have in the DL is surely a big part of that turned up aggression. And yeah, I also agree we are likely going to see a different look and some adjustments Sunday though with the threat of all that speed and YAC ability lining up on the other side of the field coupled with the potential to be missing at least half, if not all, of our starting secondary for this game. I am just really hoping both Oliver and Phillips suit up, we are going to need to disrupt Tua and help our young secondary out.

When we lead the NFL in point differential and are scoring at will throwing the ball, I will never complain that we need to run the ball more. However, the weather is inevitably going to change. The playoffs are inevitably going to arrive. And the one constant is that being able to win in the trenches becomes crucial. And the reason for that is your team needs to both be able to stop the run and on the other side be able to effectively run the ball. Doesn't mean you have to be a run first team, just means history has shown us that being able to run the ball makes things easier come winter and the playoffs. Now...why I am not concerned. We are dominating in the trenches already. We have been able to run fairly easy when calling in rhythm running plays (not those funky tricky plays like he tried on 4th and 1 that was god awful play call choice). The new OL run blocking scheme looks much improved. Devin has shown he can be very good when given sufficient carries already last year, and that was before the better run blocking scheme. So I think when the time comes and we need to run the ball more (and that could even be this weekend with all the defensive injuries we have to try and hold the ball longer and limit Miami's time of possession), this team is well equipped to be able to get the job done. In the meantime, if we keep scoring at ease through the air I am just fine with that.

Yeah, also another good point. And honestly, I think ironically the more Edmunds thrives, the lower his chances to get another contract here are. With him and Oliver, something is going to have to give. And Oliver looked dominant against the Rams and fully expect him to have a big year. Not to mention, if Jordan Phillips keeps playing like this, I don't see how they don't do what they can to bring him back too given he is on a 1 year deal. Might even be something we see happen in season to be honest. Personally, if Phillips keeps playing like this, I would prioritize BOTH Oliver and Phillips over Edmunds. The game changes when you can dominate in the trenches, that will always be more valuable IMHO than any LB (exception for those rare LB's like LT, Lewis, etc). Dominating up front makes everyone's job easier on that field. So be interesting to see how this all unfolds, but I will never count Beane out, he has been a wizard at the cap and player retention. If he wants everyone back, he is the guy best suited to try and figure out a way to get it done.

This is a good post, and I think there is also one more layer to it, and IMHO its been evident on the field this year compared to years past. Frazier frustratingly used Edmunds more like a safety net or last line of defense out there than an aggressive MLB in the past. It was like Frazier didn't trust the front 4 to win in the trenches, so he played Edmunds deeper off the ball and relied on his range and athleticism to try and minimize the damage of losing up front. This is why I have been saying the last couple years, I think the things people hate most about Edmunds is more tied to how Frazier has used him. This year, its like they turned Edmunds loose and let him play more aggressive. He feels closer to the ball and all over the field. And I think that has everything to do with the revamped DL. The fact they are playing at a much higher level already helps the LB's do their job better, then you add in Frazier seems to trust the front 4 more and allowing Edmunds to play more closer to the action and be more of an aggressor or enforcer out of the MLB spot. One of the reasons I wanted Frazier to get a HC gig is because I was hoping to see what another DC would do with Edmunds and how he would use him. But so far, it seems we didn't need a new DC, we just needed a new DL for Frazier to seemingly turn Edmunds loose more. Its only been 2 weeks though, so we will see if that continues or not. I just hope Frazier doesn't start to fall back into the soft bend but don't break mentality. I love seeing this D be aggressive.

Dont get it twisted, I have been critical of him too. I just think its grossly exaggerated. And I def not taking it too seriously, simply responding to posters who commented at me with nonsense. Im not losing any sleep over it lol.

Criticism is fair of any player when its warranted, and Edmunds has had his share of fair criticism. But, the Edmunds hate has surpassed Whitner levels around here at times to where he would have a good game and the same people would yet again start another thread bashing him. Edmunds has made 2 pro bowls, 5th in the NFL in tackles since entering the league, the captain of a top ranked defense, constant praise from his teammates, staff, and peers...his play hasn't been so bad that 200 threads need to be started a season committed to trashing him. He has had things he needed to improve...no doubt. He hasn't been perfect...no doubt. But he also has not been a total train wreck like so many people here like to portray. And now Edmunds contract is a looming decision for this team, so how he plays this year is what it is really going to come down to. And even though I started this thread, I do NOT think he has automatically earned his next deal. Based on what the expected market is going to be for him, I think like most people, we need to see more from him and more consistent impact plays before he even becomes a consideration to resign (unless he was to take a team friendly deal that is more affordable than we expect). And even if he has a great season, still doesn't even mean we can afford to resign him with other deals also looming and a tight cap. But the only point of this thread was to point out his improved play so far this season, and something to keep an eye on. As a TSW whipping boy, he earned at least one thread that recognized that his good play on the field has been noticed.

Yeah, hard to say when he will be back, but it certainly sounds like he won't be out too long, assuming he misses any time. Its unfortunate timing with both the Fins and Chiefs up next, but all that matters is that he avoided serious injury. While it seems unlikely, I won't rule him out to playing this week yet.

I wasn’t shocked to be honest. I’ve been telling people Lions could be explosive this year all off season. I drafted St. Brown in all my leagues. I wanted Swift, but draft never fell for me in 3 leagues that made that happen, but got St. Brown in all 3. Side note…in one league I have Kupp, Diggs, and St. Brown who the trio through 3 games has outscored one whole fantasy team and is like within 20 points of 2 other whole fantasy teams hahaha. Let’s just say I’m comfortably in first place haha.