Utah John

That's always been a problem for the Bills, particularly playing late in the season. Also it's a short week to begin with, not counting losing almost a full day with the flight. I remain confident about this game but I do have nagging worries that those problems will start to bite. It's so important that the offense gets some first downs early in the game, and if possible scores early, to keep the Chargers from any real hope of an upset.

He was outside for over three hours in a cold rain, which for me is the worst condition. I would much prefer 10 degrees and sunny, or 20 degrees and snowy. The rain just soaks in and chills you to the bone. I'd be surprised if a lot of guys didn't get something affecting their health. There was a lot of talk about Peacock offering a free 7 day trial but if you go to their website there's nothing there about it. Has anyone tried to sign up for it in the last couple of days?

Josh Allen's contract is really not the issue. He's quite far from the highest paid QB. It's Von Miller's contract that really upset the applecart. That was a bet Beane made last year, and it was working out great until it wasn't. Now those dollars allotted to a (currently) mediocre player look like a huge mistake and burden going forward. But who knows. The Bills have been saying since Miller was activated that they really were hoping he'd be close to 100% by the end of the year, and if you noticed he's been getting much closer to sacks lately. He could be a force next year if he keeps rehabbing over the offseason. All that said, the salary cap will be an issue. I think Gabe Davis is a goner. We need a good WR2 in the draft, and also a center and a safety or two, to have on the game rosters and getting experience when the opportunity arises. Morse is a very good center but is getting up there. Same thinking for Poyer and Hyde. I don't think Rapp is the long-term answer. Surprisingly I think we're in good shape at CB even if Tre White doesn't return. LB will also be a solid position when Milano returns, and the DL should be strong again. I don't know about the world, but I am!! I think the Cowboys tried to adjust to stop the run, but short of everyone on defense putting on 20 pounds of muscle during halftime, there wasn't much they could do. Their D is built for speed to stop opposing passing which they assume will happen because their own offense usually scores so much. We're already got our versions of Chris Jones. Their names are Ed Oliver and DaQuon Jones.

I kinda doubt the Seahawks win affects the Cowboys one way or the other. They were always going to be motivated to get the best possible playoff seeding. And now they're dealing with being embarrassed on national TV. So the Dolphins can't beat anyone with a winning record, and the Cowboys can't beat anyone while playing on the road. Are we looking at a tie?

It's the principle of the matter. We already have to pay for games through one service or another.

Cook runs differently than any other great Bills back I can remember. Obviously not the same as Cookie. Not as big or elusive as OJ but nearly as fast, but I don't recall OJ slipping through cracks in the line like Cook. Shiftier than Thurman but maybe not as strong. Not as powerful as Travis Henry. Not as shifty as Shady, but still quite good. Much quicker than Singletary but maybe not quite as powerful. The closest comparison I can make is to Max Anderson, aka mini-Max, who was the guy before OJ showed up, but Cook overall is generally better than Anderson ever was. I was concerned that Cook wasn't big or strong enough to run between the tackles but he's shown he can do that well. The area needing improvement the most is in pass protection, and I think he just needs to be coached up and to work on that. Beane seems to be a throw-mud-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks drafter. He kept drafting DEs until he got a couple who can play (Rousseau, sometimes Epenesa). After picking Moss and Singletary pretty high, he hit a homer with Cook. I hope it doesn't take that many swings and misses to find new WR2, center, and safety since these will be positions of need going forward.

And they got Harty because Hines got hurt in the jet ski accident. Assuming Hines returns in 2024 and is as capable as he was last season, does that mean Harty will depart? Irv, I have to ask why your photo is of Clip Smith and not Irv Weinstein.

Based on subsequent posts, I have to withdraw my comment about McK's take on McD. The point remains however that McK is a talented player in a league full of talented players. He always seemed like a loudmouth, not reading from the same script as other players (see: Allen, Josh; Dawkins, Dion; Morse, Mitch) That's fun for sportswriters who must get bored writing the same crap over and over, but it breaks the harmony inside the building.

With the likelihood that McKenzie was a source for the hit article on McDermott, the chances of the Bills giving McK a PS slot seem slim. He's a talented guy in a league full of talented guys that don't rock the boat. Only the true superstars get to be jerks and still keep playing, until they fade into being merely really good, at which point they're expendable too.

What made me cringe was watching the Browns, Texans, and Bengals pull last-minute wins out of their butts. If any two of the Bears, Titans, or Vikings played like professionals, the Bills would be in a wild card slot already. (The Browns win was the toughest to take, with a Hail Mary that worked until the receiver didn't hold on to the ball. But, the Bears.) Those earlier games could be seen as the football gods saying no to the Bills. Or they could be seen as saying, OK Buffalo do what you should have been doing all season, and be playing your best football when you get in.

I think he meant "complementary" although a lot of compliments were due for this game.

I think the Cowboys and Dolphins are very similar teams. Fast, good skills. And the Bills will do to the Dolphins what they did to the Cowboys. This after the Dolphins lose to either the Cowboys or the Ravens, or both. Which is pretty likely since they both have winning records (and the Fish haven't beaten any team this year with winning record when they played).

I think some Bills fans would like to see Davis being chased by an alligator. A big one that's unusually fast. Not me. He is playing an important role in the success of the offense.

The Bills exposed the Cowboys as a lightweight, fast, team that can be pushed around. Not what you need in the playoffs. Any team with a good O line will now be trying to run the ball, even if the Cowboys are ahead. The Bills smashed Prescott a couple of times and he wasn't the same player afterward. The Cowboys tried to smash Josh a couple of times and he just smashed them back.

If you want something besides the interim coach factor to worry about, it's a short week. Sunday afternoon game today, travel day on Friday. Three hour time difference. Playing late (Eastern Standard Time). Could be a tired and distracted Bills team. Over the years I've seen so many Bills teams lose December games on the West Coast. It's true that most of those Bills teams were pretty bad, had little or no chance at the playoffs, and saw no reason to try to make their coach look good. Quite different from this year and this team. Nevertheless I refuse to stop worrying. Well, they might do just that.

Diggs had one, Cook had one (would have been a TD), and Kincaid had two. OTOH Diggs had an amazing catch, in the rain, with one hand.

Look at it this way. Gabe Davis is an offensive lineman who gets to run downfield and make blocks. He is REALLY good at it. Do you think James Cook made all those yards on his own? Someone was making blocks down the field. At this point, any catches he makes are gravy.

Wait till Hurts gets hurt. That'll be the end of that.

If he couldn't play effectively with that injury why didn't the Bills put him on IR and let him have the surgery he needs, so he'll be back and ready to go next year? Why let him linger when he couldn't play effectively?

Jalen Ramsey is a great CB. Xavien Howard is very good but he gets a lot of action because teams avoid Ramsey. The Fins offense had a HUGE dropoff in all areas when Hill was on the sidelines. It was amazing how much easier it was for the Titans to cover receivers and defend the run. (Do the Fins even have a tight end? They let Gesicki go and now they never seem to throw to whoever replaced him.) The Fins offense had a HUGE dropoff when Hill was on the sidelines. The Titans suddenly were able to cover all the receivers and defend against the run.

You're probably right that the complete collapse is going to weigh more on their minds, but both those losses were gut punches to the favored team. The Bills have had more time to recover.

The Pats D is decent, and the Chiefs offense will probably try that Kelce throw back play two or three times, fumbling each time. So there's hope. Plus I'd like to see the Pats hurt their draft position.

He's still a good coach but he's been a terrible GM for years. Can't draft, picks the wrong FAs. The Pats need an actual GM more than they need a new coach. The problem is it's going to take a new GM a few years to clean up the roster, and it's asking a lot for the Krafts, who are used to success, to keep BB around that long. But the mess is still going to be there, BB or no BB, and if they go with a new coach that poor guy will suffer and be fired, putting the Pats into the hire/fail/fire rinse and repeat we all saw with the Bills. That makes perfect sense. The fans are demanding a coaching change, which is a couple years late since Staley screwed himself out of a playoff spot by not settling for a tie in the last game of the season.

The Dolphins have a great CB and a very good one too. Beyond that, not much on defense.

Seems to me DK1 has caught a few of those the past couple of years. And DK2 is an even better receiver. Sounds like some illegal formations and motions on the 50, and definitely holding. Maybe even a naked bootleg if your Mom changed her mind. But who knows, if the Bills start losing a lot, maybe that'll bring the fans back.