mjt328

One of the reasons that I believe our offense will be better under Ken Dorsey. It wasn't until the final quarter of the year that we managed to develop a running game. Part of it was the O-Line blocking better. Part of it was Josh Allen taking off more often. Part of it was Daboll just being willing to focus on establishing the ground game. At no point did we suddenly become a "running" team. But once defenses knew we could actually move the ball on the ground, the entire offense became pretty much unstoppable. All it really took was the threat.

Did we ever get clarification on what McKenzie's injury actually is? There was a small note about him "limping" out of practice about a week ago, and a small follow-up saying it looked minor. They never said if it was a knee, ankle, foot, hamstring, groin, etc. The lack of attention made me think he was perfectly fine. Now it sounds iffy on whether he will play Thursday. As one of our starters, I would think this would be bigger news.

Dolphins for sure. They have enough talent to finish with 9-10 wins this year, for sure. My bold prediction for this year... the Patriots will finish last in the AFC East.

None of these situations will have an affect on the Bills winning games. Cody Ford wasn't going to play much (if any) this season anyway. Everyone already knew the pick was a bust. They have been moving him around since his rookie year. He's was always the weakest link on our O-Line, and our blocking improved massively when Ryan Bates finally took his job at the end of last year. Getting something in return was a positive, not a negative. OJ Howard was a busted free agent signing. But it wasn't like he was extremely expensive, and he was only signed as a backup. And one of the main reasons for his release was the surprisingly strong play out of Quinton Morris. We are out $2.6 million in dead-cap, but seemingly have a better/younger option ready to step up in his place. Oh well. The Matt Araiza situation was tough, because the team was put into a very difficult position involving a serious off-field situation. The only critics of the Bills organization are those who agreed with Araiza being cut, but just felt the team should have done it 48 hours earlier. They will voice their opinions, and then we can all move on. Later this week, the Bills will sign a different punter (who may end up being better) and it will be like Araiza was never on the team.

I highly doubt anyone is taking the result of this game seriously. The Panthers played 95% of their starters for an entire half. Meanwhile, the Bills didn't play ANY of their starters (outside of maybe Kaiir Elam), and even sat a large chunk of their top backups. Our third-string QB is tonight's punter, for crying out loud. The coaching staff is clearly using this game as the last chance for fringe guys to win a roster spot.

Imagine if you (or a close family member) was falsely accused of something like rape or domestic abuse. Your reputation is gone. Your closest friends now hate you. And instead of waiting for all the information came out, your job immediately fires you because they don't want to "deal with the distraction" from the media. The Bills front office claims to care about the personal lives of their players. I'm glad that Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott are willing to be patient, and won't throw Araiza to the wolves, because it's uncomfortable answering these types of questions from reporters. Again. There is nothing wrong with waiting for the facts.

Rape is obviously a very serious charge. If guilty, Matt Araiza should spend the rest of his life behind bars. With that said, I find it very disturbing how quickly some of you would cut a 22-year-old kid and end his career. It's not disrespectful to women to wait for the facts. We should also reject the idea that it's somehow more righteous to automatically believe every claimed victim, and impulsively throw the accused to the wolves. That's not justice either. Personally, I'm glad the Bills officials are willing to let the situation play-out before making a decision on Araiza. Any player in that locker room could be falsely accused of something criminal. If it happened to Josh Allen, I have a feeling the opinions amongst Bills Mafia would be a little more reserved. There would likely be a little more patience in waiting for the truth. Since we are just talking about the punter, fans think it's OK to just toss him under the bus. The Bills often claim a "family-like" atmosphere amongst the team, and that kind of attitude could be just as damaging to player morale. I'm confident that if Araiza's guilt becomes more clear and apparent, the Bills will make the right decision.

If you took the exact same roster and put a different logo on the helmet, most people would be expecting 6-7 wins. Max. It took 2-3 seasons before people got used to the Bills being good. It's just as hard for people to get used to the Patriots being average.

As it stands, the Bills already have a strong roster. Too many good players and not enough roster spots. They are also very tight against the salary cap with a handful of starting players who they may not be able to re-sign in the offseason. Over the next few months, it's likely that injuries will pop-up. It's also possible that some players will regress, and certain position(s) could suddenly become a weakness on this roster. That is what happened last year on the O-line especially. In my opinion, the smart play is to wait. See how the first several games play-out, and identify where the team potentially needs help. That's when Beane can make a last-minute splash (if-needed). And if we don't need anything, he can use the extra cap space to extend upcoming free agents early. What happens if Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Isaiah McKenzie, Jamison Crowder and Khalil Shakir all have fantastic seasons AND all manage to stay healthy? But then Tre White has a setback, and Kaiir Elam/Christian Benford show rookie struggles? This is a totally plausible scenario. It would be foolish to blow all of our cap space on Kenny Golladay or Odell Beckham Jr. (who may not be needed), so that we can't get secondary help.

Dreadful? Really? Including Cody Ford, our GM has only drafted seven trench players in the Top 3 Rounds. Harrison Phillips had a bad injury in Year 2 which hampered his development. But he was a pretty solid rotational DT by his final year here, and is now slated to start for the Minnesota Vikings. Any third rounder who signs as a starter in free agency is not a bad pick. Ed Oliver has been steadily getting better each season. He was a no-brainer for the 5th Year Option, and many feel that he's on the verge of a Pro-Bowl breakout season. At the worst, he's been a rock-solid starting DT for us. AJ Epenesa has been a disappointment. No disagreement there. But we have seen flashes, and I still think he's got the potential to be a solid contributor on this team. This is a make or break year. Greg Rousseau, Boogie Basham and Spencer Brown are entering their second seasons, so it's way too early to make a determination about any of them. But Rousseau started all 17 games last year, and graded as one of the league's best run defenders. Basham has flashed this summer and in the preseason. Brown has been injured most of training camp, but did start 10 games as a rookie. If your only standard of a "hit" is landing a perennial All-Pro, your expectations are totally out of whack. Nobody hits 100%. Compared to other GMs around the league, Beane is easily one of the best in the business. This is evidenced not only by the Bills team success, but also by the number of his draft picks who are still playing in the NFL. Out of the 31 guys he has drafted, only Vosean Joseph is not currently on an NFL roster. That's crazy good. The same guy who drafted Cody Ford, is the same guy who drafted Wyatt Teller. That tells me that Brandon Beane does know O-Line talent. The real question is why they gave up on Teller one year too soon (despite him showing flashes), while sticking with Ford until the very end? There was some kind of misstep during the on-field/practice evaluation process which needs to be corrected. I wouldn't be surprised if that played a part in the O-Line coaching change this offseason.

Pretty good analysis. A lot went wrong for the Bills during the regular season. But most of those kinks were resolved by the homestretch, and they were really hitting their peak around playoff time. I think that we not only have a better roster in 2022, but may also be better-prepared mentally.

That is the problem. Too many HOF voters are looking for numerical milestones, instead of just looking at the player himself. Focus too much on stats and you get players like Frank Gore, who were never GREAT... just good for a really long time. Focus too much on Super Bowls and you get players like Richard Seymour... who pretty much just gets in, because he played for the Patriots. The Pro-Bowl is basically a popularity contest, which is further watered-down because half the players decide not to play... forcing them to bring in alternates. Mac Jones made it this year, for crying out loud. Tyrod Taylor was an alternate in 2015. I do understand the problem with guys having short careers, and that's where some players can be questionable. I never saw Gale Sayers play, but I did watch Terrell Davis. He was an absolute monster during his first 4 years, but was never the same after his injuries. Personally I think his career was a little TOO short, but I can see why some feel differently. The WR log jam from a few years ago was stupid. But at the end of the day, I think a bunch of borderline players ended up sneaking in. I'll admit I wanted to see Andre Reed for selfish reasons (as a Bills fan), but I'm not absolutely certain he belongs. He is just as deserving as Tim Brown, Chris Carter, Art Monk, etc... but I'm not really sure those guys were HOF guys either. I've often stated that Eric Moulds is the best Bills receiver of All-Time, and I know I'm not the only fan who feels that way.

Sure. But GOOD for a long-time, is not the same as GREAT. In my opinion, the Hall of Fame should be reserved for the "Best of the Best." The guys other players and coaches are afraid to play against. The guys who dominate on a regular basis. Barry Sanders was a Hall of Famer. Emmitt Smith was a Hall of Famer. Thurman Thomas was a Hall of Famer. LaDainian Tomlinson was a Hall of Famer. I saw Curtis Martin's entire career, and wouldn't put him anywhere near that conversation. Compared to current NFL backs, he was probably on the same level as someone like Nick Chubb or Dalvin Cook would be today. He just managed to stay healthy, and do it for a longer time (when most RBs would start declining around 7-8 years). The Pro-Bowl is for good players. Having a bust in the Hall of Fame should be reserved for legends.

There wasn't a single point during Curtis Martin's career, where I considered him one of the top RBs in the NFL. He played his entire career for the rival Patriots and Jets. Yet he was never someone (as a Bills fan) that I worried about us playing. Never. I worry about Derrick Henry right now. I worry about Jonathan Taylor right now. I never worried about Curtis Martin. It wasn't until his career was pretty much over, and they started talking about the stats he accumulated (yards and touchdowns). That was the first time I realized Martin was going to get consideration as a Hall of Famer. It totally caught me off guard. A guy shouldn't be a Hall of Famer based purely on stats. Especially when they are accumulated over an abnormally long career. The exact same logic goes for Frank Gore.

Deion has a massive ago, and really shouldn't be the one saying it. But... sadly he is correct. I've been watching the NFL since the late 1980s. Every year there are coaches and players inducted who I've never even heard of. Guys should have about 10 years of eligibility, post retirement. If you can't make it by that point, then you simply don't deserve it. The other problem is the "minimum" number of inductions each year. The 2022 class we just saw was particularly weak. I watched the careers of Tony Boselli, Bryant Young, Sam Mills, Leroy Butler and Richard Seymour. All were pretty good players. None stood out to me as Hall of Famers, and I was honestly shocked to see them all on the list. Dick Vermeil as a coach was almost embarrassing. One Super Bowl win, and barely over .500 in his entire coaching career.

Pretty good list. The AFC is loaded, but I definitely think Buffalo should be the favorite. The Chiefs have been the class of the AFC for the last 3 seasons, but I think this is the season we finally pass them. With Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, they will still be a very dangerous offense. But without Tyreek Hill, they will lack some of that downfield explosion. They probably can't afford those games where they fall asleep for 2-3 quarters, and still manage to win. That plus the brutal AFC West competition will cost them homefield at Arrowhead. The Patriots will challenge the Jets for last place. Last year's resurgence was a fluke, always catching teams at the worst times. The roster is not very good, and I think Mac Jones has already peaked (think Baker Mayfield 2.0). Continuity is underrated, and they will really miss Josh McDaniels. Bill Belichick is a great coach, but he's also an @$$, and I think his attitude won't fly when his team is losing.

Drafting is rarely about getting an immediate impact. Some guys come into the league more prepared/ready to play, but their ceiling is low and they don't have the talent to become great. A perfect example is the 2017 quarterback draft class. Baker Mayfield was very good his rookie year. Head and shoulders above everyone else. But within a couple seasons he was lapped by Lamar Jackson and then Josh Allen. Those guys were raw as rookies, but had the potential to be superstars if developed correctly. Mayfield was always going to be a mid-tier/average QB. Sean McDermott has a history of coaching-up late round CBs (Levi Wallace, Dane Jackson) into solid NFL starters. But there was always a low ceiling with those guys, and it limited our defense. If our coach can get that kind of production out of 7th Rounders and UDFAs, then imagine what he can do with Kaiir Elam's physical talent.

The problem is, they will emphasize illegal contact for 17 weeks (so we can watch all the passing records get broken)... and then completely ignore grabby/physical defenders once the playoffs start. In theory, focusing more on illegal contact will greatly benefit the Bills. Our WRs (which is on the smaller side) gets more room against physical defensive backs. Meanwhile our zone-heavy defense doesn't suffer quite as much, compared to teams that run mostly man-coverage. My issue is with the consistency, especially in the postseason.

Agree with all of this. There seemed to be a couple consistent trends over the first week of training camp: - The offense has been lagging way behind the defense - Almost everyone on the D-Line has looked incredible - Almost our entire starting O-Line has been off the field Dawkins came back today, and it doesn't sound like the Saffold/Bates injuries are long-term. The guy to watch may be Spencer Brown. Back injuries can have a tendency to nag.

The Bills will be ready this year. Trust me. Just like constructing a roster or developing a player... I believe an entire team goes through a mental process of transforming into a champion. When Beane/McDermott took over the Bills in 2017, there were players who believed they "could" win every week. But if they were honest, they really didn't expect to win against the better teams in the NFL. Gradually through the 2018-2019 seasons, the locker room began to gain confidence and started truly believing they could win each week. Shortly after that, came the mental hurdle of finally beating the Patriots and winning the division. Then came the grind of winning their first playoff game. After the Kansas City loss in the 2020 championship game, I think the Bills found themselves beat-up and physically tired. They still needed to learn how to pace themselves through a 16-17 game regular season, and then 3-4 games in the postseason. Overall, I think they handled that plan well last year - and really knew when to turn on the juice for the playoffs. But it also led to them dropping some winnable games (most notably Pittsburgh and Jacksonville). Which ultimately cost them homefield advantage and the bye. I truly believe this year they strike the right balance. With the Super Bowl champs coming to town Week 1, followed by the Titans (who have beaten them two years in a row), they have all the motivation in the world to start strong.

Yeah. I don't really understand this argument. If Davis was going from the #3 guy to the #1, and replacing Stefon Diggs...yeah, that could be a concern. He would suddenly be the primary focus of the secondary and drawing the defense's top corner. But in the #2 role? We've seen him excel in that position each of the last two seasons. He filled-in great for John Brown as a rookie. He filled-in great for Emmanuel Sanders.

This is exactly the problem. I'm sure the Bills would love to keep Jordan Poyer, and he certainly deserves the extension. But the timing on expiring contracts is going to force us into making some really tough decisions. And no matter which way you look at it, Poyer seems to be one of the odd men out. Considering age? Out of the guys coming up, Poyer is the second oldest guy on the list. Team value? Sean McDermott seems to prioritize the D-Line first, and secondary after. While the other guys were drafted/developed, both of our safeties were found (fairly cheap) in free agency. Not to mention, based on the agent change and his wife's comments, it really sounds like he's seeking top safety money. No hometown discounts.

In the NFL, once you get down to the final 5-6 teams (meaning the Divisional Round), everything is really just a toss-up. Fans worry too much about who is the "overall best team" in the league -- when in reality the last few games usually come down to specific matchups, injuries, who is on a hot streak, and just a little bit of luck. That's why the recipe for a championship is... win your division, get at least one home playoff game and hopefully the chips fall the right way. Think about it. Add a squib kick, and remove a blocked punt... we easily could have gotten a Buffalo/Green Bay Super Bowl matchup instead of a Los Angeles/Cincinnati. That's how small the margin of error is.

I grew up during the 1990s Super Bowl run. So I understand the stage their fans are in.... (denial). Back then, the Patriots (along with the Jets and Colts in the AFC East) were the absolute definition of irrelevant. They pretty much only existed so that we could get 6 free wins each season, and rack up extra stats. The only divisional team that even slightly kept my attention was the Dolphins. And even with Don Shula/Dan Marino, I had zero concern about them actually taking first place from us. Things gradually started changing after Bill Parcells became the coach, and the Patriots drafted Drew Bledsoe. They finally had a good team, and we were no longer a true powerhouse. Following the Music City Miracle and the emergence of Tom Brady, the switch was finally complete. They were the kings of the AFC East, and we were just a checkmark on their schedules. While we got excited about Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tyrod Taylor, nobody in the Boston area was actually taking us seriously. Since the Patriots run lasted so long (20 years!!!), many of their fans simply don't understand how the NFL cycle works. They know absolutely nothing of struggling, or even getting stuck in the endless 6-9 win mediocre purgatory. The writing is on the wall. But they fail to see it, because they've never experienced an average or bad team. Personally, I'm getting a pretty good laugh out of watching them drool over Mac Jones. Or them still believing that Bill Belichick can make a champion out of a below-average roster. It reminds me of what we experienced for two decades.

Even if we banned a "specific type of rifle"... or even banned ALL guns - would that have stopped the shooter from obtaining one? If a person doesn't care about murdering children, murdering his own grandmother, and then either getting killed by police or spending his life in prison... they aren't the type of person who really cares about legal vs. illegal. I don't believe anything can be done to totally prevent these types of incidents from happening. There are wicked and evil people in this world. My opinion is that all schools should have a single point of entry, which is locked and secured at all times, with two armed security officers on-duty at all times.