Utah John

The Jets did this a few years ago, robbing Seattle blind by trading Jamal Adams there for two first rounders. Those picks helped the Jets ascend from terrible to mediocre. Now they're back to terrible, so they're trading away their two best defenders for more picks, plus they're in the running for the first overall pick in the next draft. If the Jets were a competent organization I'd be worried about what they'll be like in 2028. In the meantime, the Bills can keep racking up two wins each year. Let's see how Jones does against strong defensive teams. I don't think he can keep up his great stats.

On top of that, on most of those non-push TDs, Josh gets bumped around like a pinball but keeps going because he's so big and strong. The reason other QBs can't/don't do that is obvious. They lack the mass and momentum to get there if there's a defender in the way. Their only option is deking but a QB trying to deke a DB is asking to get blown up.

I have to admit being so pampered by Josh's talent that plays like that are no longer a surprise.

It's really remarkable that the Bills and Chiefs have both been able to keep strong rosters going for so many years. But cracks are showing. On the Chiefs, both lines looked pretty bad. Partly because their rookie LT Simmons has been away for so long for undisclosed personal reasons (whatever that means) but also they've been riding awful Juwaan Taylor at RT and he's not good enough. The interior of their line is supposed to be great but the Hoecht just ruined them yesterday. On the D line, I don't know what's going on. Chris Jones is still there but the only time I heard his name mentioned was when he got blocked completely out of a play. Karlaftis was there, according to the stats, but invisible. Maybe Spags is relying on team defense and that's constraining what the D line can do. Not really a bad idea if you have to spy Allen on every play. The Bills have holes of their own of course, largely due to injuries on the defense and complete whiffs on offensive FAs. The Bills got lucky a few years ago with Beasley and now it seems Beane thinks he can just sign anyone and it will work out. Curtis Samuel is killing the team by being lousy and also eating a huge amount of the cap. Both teams are dealing with very expensive, excellent QBs that constrain spending elsewhere. The Chiefs put their spare marbles on WRs and the Bills on their D line, and right now it looks like the Bills have the slight edge on that.

Now, THERE'S a Bills fan. (I feel the same way.) Somewhat elated but mostly exhausted and relieved they won, and they looked like the better team too, not winning on a fluke. And immediately focused on the good player who's gone for the year. I am trying to choose to be positive about the situation. How about this. The Utah boys really showed up. Kincaid and Bishop. The Bills don't win without them both. The Bills seem to have had a really good draft. Hairston, Walker, Hancock, Hawes, and Lundt are all making good showings, and the rest are injured but looked fine before getting hurt. Captain Cook continues to explore new oceans of excellence. (Stay away from Hawaii, Jimbo.) Josh Allen is back. He was not playing like himself in the two losses. Joe Brady has left his laboratory and is no longer screwing up with experiments. McD is calling the defensive plays and it shows. Bosa was worth it.

NO ONE OPEN.

Dawkins moved later and less than the Chiefs RT does.

I see part of the problem as wasting spots on the practice squad for sentimental reasons. I think the Bills believed the hype about them steamrolling through the season, so they signed Tre White, Gabe Davis, and Jordan Poyer to find a way to get them a ring, finally. How nice. But those spots should have been used for younger players who can help the Bills win, now. Putting White and Poyer onto the field as starting DBs is a disaster. Yes it's good the Bills have them available but they could instead have had young players who can still run, in position to fill those starting spots.

Vrabel did more than that. He figured out how to defend the Bills, with an outstanding QB, excellent RB, above average O line, and mediocre receivers. Josh hasn't had the opportunity to run, and when he has taken off, he's been hesitant. He doesn't have quite as much time to pass as he had last year. Vrabel attacked Josh and the O line couldn't hold up. But the biggest problem is that the scheme that Vrable used, and which everyone else will copy until the Bills beat it, worked.

Do you really think Terry Pegula cares enough to step in? The Bills were Kim Pegula's team. Terry is a businessman focused on other endeavors. He lets Beane run the team, which is a lot better situation than other teams where the owner gets way too involved in day to day decisions. Beane did take action to address the needs we all saw from last year, but a series of injuries and the failure of Kaiir Elam and the realization that Curtis Samuel and Joshua Palmer are JAGs not worth all that money, really deralied his plans. Because the Ravens game taught us to endure and hope for success. And until the middle of the fourth quarter, the Bills actually did have a chance to take control. A couple of terrible coaching decisions while the Bills were on offense killed that chance.

There's no way Josh would do that in public, since it would amount to calling out teammates in certain positions. What he does behind the scenes is another story. Allen's demeanor after the Falcons loss told a story. He was so frustrated and depressed. He usually tells reporters "I have to be better" but now he's saying "we have to be better" and that difference is huge.

Bijan Robinson is giving credit to God. I hate that. I really don't think God cares who wins a football game. And the Bills and Bills fans believe in God too.

He's disinterested. It was Kim Pegula who drove the ship.

And they didn't make the playoffs that year either. The Bills and Ravens are collapsing together.

He's disinterested. It was Kim Pegula who drove the ship.