Thurman#1

Nonsense. They've been damn good way past 2017. Right up to last year, when healthy. This year, though, there's an issue, and it's real. Will it go away when we get healthy? Hard to say. Hope so. Can't be said for sure, either way. But they need to bring in a serious pass rusher if at all possible next year. Last year with Floyd, they had a respectable rush. This year not so much yet.

Don't know if he's washed, it might be some kind of temporary issue. But yeah, he's not the guy he used to be, and it's really showing in the run game. And the pass game as well, really. But the rest of the line is mostly smaller guys. McDermott's D needs that 1-tech to force and eat double-teams. DaQuan did it the past couple of years but he's not doing it at nearly as high a level this year.

Funny, I thought McDermott said pretty much the exact opposite. McDermott: "...Also, not really knowing, Baylon tweaked his calf on Thursday I believe it was, not really knowing if either of those guys would be available as well, and didn't want to overload either one of them so just trying to patch it together best we could there and applaud Dorian for going out there and being able to stay out there. So unfortunately again for Baylon with this calf and, just having one of those years it seems like. Skurski: How much of that was maybe playing it safe given where you are in the season and where you are in the standings versus they just weren't ready to go. McDermott: It's funny because we have those conversations with out training staff, it's like, "Hey, we're not holding anybody just because of this or that because every week it's tough. But certainly understanding already being in the playoffs, but you're also, you're trying to improve your football team overall, so, they just weren't ready overall, Jay, in answer to your question. But you're trying to get your team with some level of continuity so you can develop this player playing next to this player and then this player playing next to this player over here, and the symmetry, the connectivity of a defense. At the end of the day, those guys weren't ready to play. And that was from our medical staff.

"A lot" is a major exaggeration. When the Bills are a big favorite they tend to win big, but it is true that a few times that does not happen and they don't play to expectations. On the other hand, division games are often tougher than they look to be on the surface, and that's true around the league, not just in Western NY.

Yeah, hadn't really paid attention to him before, but unfortunately Maye looked pretty composed and decent, for a rookie.

Second seed is better than third, fourth or fifth. And at least for the next week, they still have a shot at the #1 with the Chiefs playing the Steelers and the Broncos who almost beat them last time except for the blocked kick. These games aren't highly important, but they are important. And the team knows that.

Week 7: 19, Week 8: 38 Week 9: 0, Week 10: 0 Week 11: 37 Week 12: Bye Week 13: 27 Week 14: 32 Week 15: 32 They weren't worse when he was out. He's playing less than 50% of snaps when he's in. He's not the reason they're better. Has he helped? Sure. But they've played great when he's out and great when he's off the field. He hasn't been huge by any means. But nice? Yeah. Solid? Definitely. Useful, productive? Absolutely. But they've done very well with him off the field. Like WEO, I hope, maybe even suspect, that he gets used more during the playoffs.

https://www.nfl.com/news/bills-qb-josh-allen-has-played-through-broken-hand-during-mvp-caliber-season-in-2024 Newsflash: Josh good. EDIT: Ah, I see your point. Sorry. Agreed, it was NOT reported to be broken till right now. Man, our guy is a baller!!

Crying and holding your end up are not mutually exclusive. You can do both. You can also quickly stop crying and get ready.

Yup. Not important either way, IMO. Indeed. And this does not reflect badly on that. So ... you grew up in a nudist colony?

Mahomes. Josh gets a ton more yards downfield, but Mahomes is just as good moving in the pocket and is just as threatening at throwing the ball. As many have correctly said, nobody, really, but I'd put Mahomes among the very closest.

That's not true. Plenty of guys have improved a ton while on the bench.

Well, you're definitely right or wrong about that.

If they trade him this offseason, it'll only be about $7M more in dead cap than we had on Diggs this year.

Reid really is one of the best coaches in the business. But he got good QB play from Donovan McNabb because Donovan McNabb was a very good QB. Same with Vick as well, he was a good QB, though far more dangerous as a runner than a passer, but he was tough to play against. And by the end of his career, after they stopped running him through the cement grinder with a new OC every year, so was Alex Smith, till the injury anyway. Did he make them better? Probably, he's a damn good coach and particularly so on offense. But those three were good. Vick least so, but still scary when young and athletic, but it's true his most dangerous year was that one year when Reid got him to start thinking like a passing QB rather than a running QB. But it only lasted a year, even though Reid was still there Vick just couldn't maintain that level. Agreed there's more to the Chiefs than Mahomes but without him (no, I don't think they'll be without him for much time if any, but ...) they're a decent team not a deeply dangerous team. Same with us without Allen, same as just about any team losing an elite QB.

Polite disagreement. He hasn't been himself throughout games but when they needed a drive they've been able to get it, and that's because of Mahomes.

He's really good at football "proves" that he deserves the taxpayers to fork out for a dome? You need to grab yourself a course in logic. Yeah, he's terrific. But that doesn't show what you think it does. That's true. And he's never lost any games in good conditions.

Yeah, that's probably why they missed Josh's game. Still pretty funny, though.

Yeah, but to create a list that allows those guys on and keeps McDermott off, you have to unnaturally eliminate nearly all the other options. You've squashed the list of great coaches down to a tiny little sample size of four or five. That fact is more a testament to your excellent job of carefully crafting your sample so it allows the guys you like and doesn't allow McDermott than saying anything important. Again, Belichick didn't win one till his seventh year and Reid his 20th. McDermott has a ton of time to haul himself up among that list, and shows every sign of being able to do so. He still has something to prove, no question. But so did Belichick and Reid. Till they did it.That's how it works for everyone. You haven't proved it till you prove it. For some it comes quick. For some, Reid most particularly, it takes a long time. And again, Sean hasn't had awful playoff defenses. They've been pretty excellent, except at stopping the Chiefs. And a lot of defenses have looked awful at stopping the Chiefs offense from scoring what they needed. But your take is more nuanced and sensible than many of the folks on here.

Couldn't agree more.

That's arguable, but nah, I don't think so. Top four or five, though. Gimme Payton and Brown as top two.

As spectacular as Josh, and OJ for that matter, is, for me it's Bruce. Top two at his position all time. Josh has years to catch him, and might. But right now it's Bruce.

I see an opinion that's pretty arguable. Even great coaches have bad games. What McDermott does seem to have is a bunch of fans who tag every loss as being his fault.

Dungy won one. Clearly he was good enough to win a Super Bowl. Dungy's good proof that a lot of times it's about situation and fit. That it's more complex than just this guy's good enough and this guy ain't. As is Reid proof of that. And Belichick, really. How many did Gruden win after that? Guy had six more years in Tampa and got more than nine wins one time. Belichick, Reid and Dungy were fantastic coaches, though. I'm not really certain about Gruden. It sure looked like it for a while but now ...?

It isn't the board. It's a certain segment of it. They disappear when things are good and reappear when we lose one. They're dopey, but entertaining. That's the way to look at it.