hondo in seattle

That's interesting - not something I would have predicted. Why?

The Pats are looking for reasons for hope because they're not confident about Saturday. I talked to a friend who's a die-hard Pats fan. He's not feeling good at all. His evaluation: both teams have good defenses but Buffalo has home-field advantage and, by-far, the better QB. Stats are nice and Mac has a good completion percentage - but Allen makes far more game-changing plays. And he makes those plays with both his arm and his legs.

To be clear, the chart is NOT my creation. It comes from an article titled, "Should Josh Allen's stats in cold weather give Patriots fans hope?" www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/do-josh-allens-cold-weather-stats-hint-patriots-edge-vs-bills I think the article asks a fair question. Josh does seem to struggle in cold weather games. But it's also true that some of those games were also windy. You'd have to guess the wind effects Josh more than the cold. And Saturday isn't supposed to be particularly windy. But, still, as a passing team wouldn't we all prefer to see sunshine, blue skies, and limp flags? Or alternatively, a domed roof above our QB's head?

If the Steelers can beat the Bills, they can beat the Chiefs. It's just not very likely.

This gives Pats fans hope...

Bojo was significantly better than Haack in both punt average and net average. But his inability to learn how to be a good holder is puzzling. It's going to hurt/kill his career.

The Titans are the team I fear the most.

I like the idea of having a nickname. These guys finished the year as the #1 D. They earned it. And a nickname can help create a sense of identity. Besides, football is a game. Games are supposed to be fun and nicknames are fun. Of the suggestions so far, I like "Cold Front" and "The Blizzard" the best.

If I were a NFL HC, I'd read up on Game Theory, build up a good analytics department, and get smart on all this stuff. And then follow my more informed gut when making big calls.

Thanks for posting. For me that's "new news." Makes me appreciate Feliciano more but also makes me wonder about Morse.

I think analytics are great. But analytics themselves are a bit of a fancy heuristic. Analytics are an attempt to take something infinitely complex and boil it down to simple numbers. And you can't do that. You can't quantify everything. For example, not all 4th and 1s are equal. Maybe the right guard has a sore hammy. Maybe your OL really needs a confidence builder. Maybe that part of the field is slippery. Show me a 4th and 1 chart that accounts for all the human, situational, and environmental variables? There isn't one. So the coach needs to make the final decision. Analytics can help him make a better decision but shouldn't make the decision for him.

Allen is an interesting runner. He doesn't cut on a dime. He doesn't look athletic. He doesn't look like a RB when he runs as do some other running QBs. When he lumbers down the field, he doesn't look fast - until you see how difficult it is for defenders to catch up. Besides being deceptively fast, he picks his angles well and regularly breaks arm tackles. I love when he successfully stiff-arms guys in a way few QBs can. As a runner, Josh doesn't remind me of anyone.

Sadly, your bad idea has come to fruition, Gugs.

I first became a football fan in 1969. I'm not sure what spurred my interest since, in those days, no one in my family followed football. And back then, Maynard was an all-star. I remember him fondly as both a player and as an announcer. RIP

Third round draft picks don't often become difference-making players. Frazier has been a difference making coach. It's hard to know how much was him - and how much was McD - but the two of them transformed a mediocre defense into the best defense in the league. One of the reasons free agents now want to come here is Frazier. Forget the draft picks, I want Leslie. But if he does get a HC gig, I wish him well.

Greg Williams, Mike Mularkey, Dick Jauron, Perry Fewell, Chan Gailey, Doug Marrone, and Anthony Lynn combined for zero playoff appearances. McD got us into the playoffs 4 or 5 years. The one year he didn't we had a talentless roster with the lowest "active cap spending" in the league. Clearly, the McDermott Era should end. The evidence is overwhelming.

This to me is interesting. Josh is certainly erratic some days. Often those are bad weather days, but not always. Other times nervousness/anxiousness/mood seems to be part of it. It's hard to know when Allen will be hot or not. It wouldn't surprise me if he threw for more than 400 against the Pats, or less than 200. In either scenario, we'll win.

I'm proud of the Bills this year but I never considered to compare them with the great Patriot teams.

#1 point differential in the league. #1 yardage differential in the league. Generally speaking, I'm not worried about our coaches. They've been successful. I do worry about matchups. The Pats D is a good. They may slow down our offense. If they do, it'll allow them to stick with a run-heavy offense. We haven't been great against the run this year. Their best hope to succeed is to balanced/run-heavy attack.

While some of you guys choose to wallow in this melodrama, I'm just happy the Bills won the AFCE!

I've been wondering the same thing. It does seem like Beas is struggling to get open.

"The most important thing in the playoffs is to play well." He's an intelligent guy but it's remarkable how much he talks like a kindergartner. Its likes he goes out of his way to avoid substantive, interesting answers and just says the very most obvious, basic thing possible.

How do you know any of these guys can capably replace Schoen - all the things he does and all the things he excels at? My thought is that a team is only as good as it's players. That means the scouting/personnel team too. We don't want to lose any of our best players and that definitely includes Schoen. I have full confidence in McDermott but I would still worry if Allen left the Bills for another team.

Flores put together winning seasons the past two years in spite of the roster deficiencies. And, despite an awful beginning to the 2021 season, he apparently didn't lose the team as they rebounded well. So apparently Tua doesn't like him. Do you build your team around your head coach or a kid with questionable potential?