hondo in seattle

I'm in my sixties and can move faster than that.

Maybe you're right. But Beane is the guy who signed him and he doesn't seem like the type to promise a starting role.

Old turds like me will get this but for the younger fans out there who may not understand... Kenneth Davis was a backup RB for the Bills in the early 1990s. M*A*S*H was a TV show about an army medical unit that was on network TV back in the 1970s.

As it looks right now, the Bills will own the AFCE for years. But looks are often deceiving with the NFL so full of surprises that it's hard to be surprised anymore. Not long ago, out on the West Coast, the 49ers playoff chances were seemingly ruined when they lost their top two QBs to injury. Then soft-spoken, unheralded Mr. Irrelevant became an unlikely star. In Indy not many years ago, their QB threw for 39 TDs and then promptly retired at the young age of 29, stunning the football world. They haven't been relevant since. Personally, I wouldn't dare predict the future of the AFCE. Unforeseeable things will happen.

Once one of the best corners in the league. Now he's traded away by a team that doesn't want him for virtually nothing. I guess that's life in the NFL.

I'm not good at statistics or probability but I do agree with the Times that we have a much better chance of winning the AFCE than the Chiefs. In all seriousness, virtually every year, I feel like Beane & McD give us about a 10% chance of winning it all. Here the NYT is saying we have a 9% chance - roughly the same No team is so good that a Lombardi is guaranteed. And when you consider injuries, bad bounces, poor ref calls, and the one-and-done playoff system, you have to acknowledge that winning the SB requires a combination of skill and luck. Getting our chances up to 9 or 10%, when the average team has a 3% chance of winning it all, represents (mostly) good work by our HC and GM.

I love advanced stats like EPA. Sort of. The reality of the Fins game is that Miami gained something like 400 yards and scored 27 points. If not for an unlikely 61 yard field goal with 10 seconds left, we might have lost the game. The D needs to get better, whatever EPA or DVOA may indicate.

In 2020, we had the #14 D and the #1 O. In 2021, we had the #1 D and the #5 O. In 2024, we have the #20 D and the #10 O. This is not a great team. But if we get healthy for the playoffs, and other teams do not, we could make a very fun run.

Despite Bass's much discussed struggles, I thought the FG attempt was the right decision. Hail Mary's have a very low probability of success. When our opponents do Hail Mary's, I figure the odds are roughly 50-50. When we do a Hail Mary, I figure our chances are about 1 in 10,000. The odds of a successful Hail Mary or Bass kicking a 61-yarder are both long. Bass has the leg strength. Where the ball goes, though, is anyone's guess. Still, I though the roulette wheel slightly favored the odds on Bass.

Fins ran at will against us with Achane and Mostert both averaging over 5 ypc. Tua only threw 3 incompletes all game. And they still lost. It's gotta be frustrating for them.

Is it too late to choose Bass as my impact player of the game?

I told my wife about the post-game interviews about Tyler Bass: Josh choked up a bit. McD choked up. Bass choked up. My wife might have said, "And now you're choking up telling me about it."

That's exactly what I texted a friend before Bass kicked. I didn't really believe it. The guy struggles with extra points. How is going to make a 61 yarder? No Bill has ever made a FG from that distance. Perfect.

I didn't know the Brittania Arms closed. I was there 2 seasons ago. Now that the San Jose Bills Backers have moved, I may have to revisit with the group at the new location. From Facebook... Founded in 1989 and roaming around the South Bay at various bars and picking up the moniker South Bay Bills Backers in the mid 90's. The South Bay Bills Backers are located in Campbell, CA and the group gets together for every Bills game. We meet up at Kirk's Steakburgers located at: 2509 S Bascom Ave Campbell, CA 95008

I've been to the Bills Backers Bar in San Francisco at the Northstar Cafe. They had a great crowd when I was there - 100+. I've also been to the Bills Backers Bar in San Jose at the Brittania Arms. The crowd was much smaller. Weirdly -to me - it's at a British style pub (what do the Bills have to do with England?). My wife wasn't a fan of the food. I've driven by the Bills Backers Bar in Monterey at Bulldog Sports Pub but have never attended game day there. San Jose is closes to Santa Cruz - just a short trip over the Santa Cruz Mountains. But Monterey isn't far either and a prettier drive. All three Bills Backers Clubs I've mentioned have FB pages for more info. Good luck!

Offense: Cook. The Fins pass defense is good while their run D is mediocre. Brady will feed Cook. Defense: Douglas. I keep waiting for him to display the ball hawking skills he showcased last year. This is the game.

I've read novels shorter than this list, though only Gilliam is a definate out. The IR list should be part of the Injury Report to give the reader a better overall understanding of who'll be missing. Fortunatley, I think we only have one guy on IR though - unfortunately - it's Milano. I'm hoping Von, after an additional four weeks to recuperate, shows up better than ever.

Thanks for posting. Weaver was a pleasure to listen to, despite the loaf of bread comment. He's postive, animated, intelligent. Had a lot of nice things to say about Bills players that seemed very genuine.

That went out of style about the same time as bell bottoms.

I get your point about rather having great corners than safeties. But... In 2021, the Bills led the NFL in pass defense, giving up only 2,771 yards (163 ypg). In 2024, we're 17th in pass defense so far, giving up 208 ypg. Maybe with Taron back and Hamlin & Rapp learning to play together in their new roles as starters, our statistical performance will improve. Von's return could help as well. I'd love to see us hold opposing QBs to 163 ypg again.

Maybe you're right. But I was in the "Damar sucks" mindset through the first few games, as a carryover of previous held opinions. It took me a while to come to terms with the new & improved Damar. I'm guessing there are some others who are taking a bit longer than me to realize the 2024 edition of Damar is different than older editions.

We all know this is - sometimes - true. But why say it publicly? It's like he's convincing Josh to think more about ball security than he normally does, which would be bad for the Fins.

Hamlin and Rapp don't make me miss Poyer and Hyde (in their prime) but they don't have me hitting panic buttons either. Still, I do worry about this... The goal is to win a Super Bowl. We used to have an elite back end (Poyer, Hyde, Tre). I like our current CBs but I don't think our secondary, overall, is as good as it once was. You don't win Lombardis by getting worse.

I know where it comes from - watching Hamlin play in previous seasons. I thought he sucked too. I wondered last year if his spot on the roster was merely PR and sympathy. I had doubts he'd make the squad this year. But, to my eyes, he's playing at another level this year. Not Pro Bowl. Not elite. But decent. He seems to understand the defense and mostly be in the right place at the right time.

After some early season struggles, I want to believe that our two new coordinators are in a groove now. Bills... 30 Fins... 16