Utah John

It feels like the Bills use a Magic 8 Ball three times to pick the pants, jerseys, and helmet they're going to wear. I'm actually fine with all-white, white over blue, or blue over white. I hate all-blue and I detest and loath all-red. As for the helmets, the standing buffalo will always be my favorite.

Well, this indicates it's possible the Saints were rigging things. But why would they do that, if they were just going to get Cooks off their roster? If it subsequently turns out that the Bills and Saints do something fishy, like having a trade next season where the Bills don't get close to full value of what they sent the Saints, that could indicate a quid pro quo. Or it could be the Saints were trying to do a solid for a player they liked but didn't want anymore. Cooks likely didn't want to be picked up by a bad organization (cough cough Dolphins cough cough) or a division rival, so it could be the Saints helped avoid that. The language in the rules would seem to mean the Saints couldn't have eventually waived Cooks, and yet the NFL let them do it and then approved the Bills signing Cooks. There's a contradiction here and I don't see how this got done.

Sure, but that means the Saints didn't collude, they just gave up on a player who didn't want to be there.

The collusion, if any, would have been between the Bills and Cooks, with the Bills trying to talk a member of the Saints roster out of playing for them and jumping to another team. If the Saints didn't want him, they could have just cut him.

Just yesterday I read an article about how Cooks wanted out of NO. The team waived him which meant anyone picking up the waiver claim would be on the hook for his existing contract, and Cooks knew that because he obviously intended to sign for a particular unnamed team. So then he was released, no longer waived, and was a FA. Lo and behold the team Cooks wanted to play for was just hanging around, waiting for the phone to ring from his agent. It sure sounds like Cooks and the Bills colluded, but it could simply be that Cooks looked around for a team with a good QB and a need for WRs, and decided the Bills would be the best landing spot. Let's see what he can do.

He has NO WHERE to throw when Kincaid isn't on the field.

I'm beginning to think that the kind thing to do with Josh is trade him to another team, one with a strong roster other than at QB, so he can finally get the ring. If it doesn't happen this year or next, it won't happen here. We'll always have the memories. And the pain. But there's no point in keeping this unicorn of a player on a collapsing team, where the only outcome is going to be an injury because none of our receivers can get open and our O line can't handle D line stunts. The Bills FO has just had too many whiffs to keep the team strong, and the coaches can't devise anything new that keeps the defenses honest. Kaiir Elam was a massive bust. That first round pick could have been a great WR1. Curtis Samuel is a massive bust. Way too expensive and way too lousy. Keon Coleman -- Good Lord, the Bills passed on Xavier Worthy to draft that lazy head case. That money could have gone for a young, healthy pass rusher. Paying some of the guys who play like JAGs has been a disaster, although if they were actually trying hard they could be better. McD sees the lack of effort and the oh-well attitudes of his players, and he's torn between kicking butt and cheerleading them to rebuild a positive attitude. The Bills ended the drought years when some good players (Lorax, Kyle Williams) had the leadership to get the rest of the roster playing hard. They've been playing hard ever since. Now they're slipping quietly into well-paid mediocrity, and except for Josh the guys who should be the leaders are now barnacles on the hull, holding the ship back.

Tim Settle and Poona Ford are Exhibits A and B for the prosecution. Both were very good with their previous teams before coming to the Bills. Neither was used effectively while with the Bills. After they left they returned to being very good D linemen. I call this the Bills Disease. Take very good (or better than that) D linemen, and turn them into JAGs. Who knows, even Rousseau and Epenesa might turn out to be good if they go somewhere else. Remember "it's the economy, stupid" well for the Bills "it's the coaching, stupid". The announcers are excusing the Bills trash run defense by repeating the fact that Ed Oliver is out. Well, Oliver is good but not nearly as good as you'd expect from his draft position or from the comments I hear. He gets run over just like the other DTs, and his splash plays are very infrequent. McDermott uses all 11 as a unit, and that worked great when Poyer and Hyde were back there (while Poyer was still fast). He wants his D line to control blocks and let his LBs and DBs make plays. Back when Milano and White and Johnson were good players, and Poyer and Hyde were on the field, that plan worked. Now our D line can't control those blocks, the LBs aren't as good and they're helpless against O linemen charging past our D line, and our DBs can't make plays. The Bills are collapsing into the drought-era Bills, when they had a handful of pretty good (or better) players but way too many weak links to win. Josh's abilities are masking the collapse of the roster, but except for Josh, Cook, Kincaid, Bishop, Brown (when healthy) and maybe Walker (who looks like a steal) the Bills are a shell of the 13 second game team. The good times had to end sometime. Too bad it's the same year when KC and Baltimore also collapsed. One more good year and they'd have had their shot at a SB. It's over.

While we're talking about the O line, I want to throw a kudo at Connor McGovern. There was a play in the third quarter where he and someone else got hurt. McGovern was lying on the ground, writhing in pain, and the announcers either didn't notice or didn't care about a mere O lineman. Whatever the problem, McGovern gutted it out and finished the game. He probably wasn't as good as he usually is, not surprisingly, but he gave the effort. Between his injury, the injury to Brown, and Dawkins inconsistent attitude, it's no wonder the O line isn't as dominant this year.

Playing like that he belongs on the Ravens. All happy when winning but when challenged they collapse. That's how they've been for years. The Bills of previous years used to take a loss or even a bad play and bear down to get better. Last night and against the Dolphins, they quit.

I'm glad someone started this thread. It's amazing that a player who's that tall can just vanish before our eyes.

3rd down, a little tricky play to Shakir, and he was open. Well, there goes the tush push. On fourth down the Bills had a wide open receiver to the left for a first down and out of bounds.

Yeah, that too.

These sacks are on the receivers who are forcing Josh to hold the ball.

Two minutes, three time outs. This OUGHT to be a juicy Allen spot.

Shakir runs backwards on a punt return, and there's a penalty besides. What is wrong with these guys?

Davis running a KO back from 7 yards deep in the end zone, instead of taking a knee. So at the 20 instead of the 35. Josh not finding ANYONE open on third down and then not just tossing it away. If you're not gonna play smart, you'll lose.

Anyone else think Bishop has a shot at the Pro Bowl? The story leading up to the game was that the Texans OT are not good. Should have let Bosa and Rousseau dominate. So what's the story?

NOW for the double dip.

The guy who tipped it should have intercepted it himself. I think Josh is trying too hard.

I don't think Taron Johnson is himself. Hurt? Why are the Texans passing so much? They could run all day long.

Tim Settle for the defense. Another good D lineman before he came to the Bills, and after he left the Bills, but totally a JAG under McD's terrible coaching. Vrabel is the one who figured out how to stop the Bills. It takes good players but the Texans have that.

Mills is the most effective player for the Bills. Thanks Texans. I hadn't heard he was. But he hasn't been very effective this year.

Damn. THIS is what happens when Beane can't field NFL-caliber WRs.

Fans: The Bills rush defense can't get any worse. Bills: Hold my beer. Supposedly the Texans OTs are not very good. Playing the Bills is how O linemen get paid.