mjt328

The main problem with EVERY SINGLE pro-Lamar Jackson argument is simply he won the 2023 MVP award based on complete opposite logic. Jackson's statistics last year were totally average. #9 in total touchdowns. #15 in yards. The reason he won MVP was because of his excellent performance in big games down the stretch and the way he solely carried his team to the best record in the AFC with limited surrounding weapons. This year, the guy who clearly fits that bill is Josh Allen. Loses all of his top weapons, and arguably puts together the Bills best regular season yet. Anyone who watches the games, knows that Patrick Mahomes has not been carrying his team. And truthfully neither is Jackson. His stats are heavily inflated due to the attention required to stop Derrick Henry. Yes, Jackson is a great player. And his pure numbers are absolutely better than Allen this year. But his numbers were significantly WORSE last year, and the voters went with other criteria to give him the award. If stats had been the primary driver for last year's MVP, then Allen probably should have won and Dak Prescott should have been the runner-up. And this year if we are back to making stats the biggest factor, maybe Joe Burrow deserves some heavy consideration as well. It's not that Jackson's performance isn't MVP-worthy. It's that consistency demands he SHOULD NOT win it this year.

We can argue about who deserves the award all we want, but Josh Allen almost certainly lost the MVP vote last week against the Patriots. As I've been saying all along... the vote is all about narratives. The sports media can't remember what they said yesterday. Much less two weeks ago. No matter how much they gushed after the Lions game and said the race was over, it all comes down to how they feel next Monday after the final game of the regular season. All the vibes have been shifting to Lamar Jackson over the last several days, and there isn't much our guy can do at this point to change that. Allen likely gets three more quarters in the rain against the Jets to prove his case in the box score. Once the #2 seed is in the bag, he's sitting the rest of the regular season (as he should). Less than 3-4 touchdowns and it's probably over. Turn the ball over even once and it's probably over. If the offense struggles at all to move or score, then it's probably over. Because Jackson will get Week 18 to run up his stats against the Browns, while the Ravens lock up the AFC North.

Any Given Sunday. Yeah, I guess it's possible. But I definitely wouldn't put money on it. The Chiefs and Ravens are hitting their stride (both sides of the ball) at the exact right time. The Bills defense is going the wrong direction. Possibly the worst three-game stretch since Sean McDermott took over as our head coach. And based on that stinker in New England, it's also possible the offense peaked too early. Still way to much relying on Josh Allen to carry this team by himself. What's scary... the Bills defense is always worse in the playoffs than in the regular season. Outside of Baltimore in 2020 and New England in 2021, that unit has massively underachieved in the postseason. Not just against Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. Also against Philip Rivers, Skylar Thompson and Mason Rudolph. Expect the Wild Card game to be much closer than reasonable, followed by the Ravens destroying us in our own stadium. When the Bills get booted in the Divisional Round again, we will hear a lot about how they "overachieved" by just winning the AFC East.

It's a popularity contest. Mahomes could take a dump in the middle of the field, and still get a nod to the Pro Bowl.

The Lions have more than two dozen players on IR. Mostly on defense. They will go much farther in the playoffs than the Bills, and may win the Super Bowl anyway. Our defense was almost 100% healthy three weeks ago against the Rams, and responded with one of the worst performances I've ever seen on that side of the ball. It hasn't gotten better. And I would almost argue that 20 points against the Patriots is the worst of all. There are different philosophies on how to play defense in the NFL. Some teams prefer an aggressive and attacking style. Ours was built to be safe, prevent big plays, force long drives and hope the other team makes a mistake (drop, penalty, incomplete) before scoring. Maybe this kind of just isn't going to work against the top QBs. And maybe the current personnel we have just aren't capable of success in anything else. With each passing week, I'm becoming a bigger supporter of a complete overhaul on that side of the ball.

When a kicker misses, a returner fumbles or a punter shanks it... those kind of errors are on the player, not the coach. Coverage teams, it really depends. When a unit can't get the right number of people on the field, that's on the coach. And inexcusable. When a unit is unprepared for a fake (especially in that situation), that's on the coach. And inexcusable. When there is failure to communicate a squib kick, you really starts wondering what the guy is actually doing on the sidelines.

D-Line struggles to get pressure, and can't get off blocks against the run. Linebackers struggle to cover space quickly and tackle. Cornerbacks/Safeties are out of position, and fail to make plays when the ball is in the air. Just once can we be prepared for a screen pass? Can we go a game without committing Pass Interference on third down, and instead actually knock the ball away? This defense really does nothing well consistently. I don't know how anyone believes this will go well in the playoffs.

When you are a bad team, sometimes hanging with a contender for 4 quarters can feel like an accomplishment. When your expectations are Super Bowl or bust, barely winning against one of the worst teams in the NFL is going to get fans worried/upset. The reason I'm supposed to be optimistic about this year's playoffs being different is because the Chiefs are barely winning against bad/mediocre teams. Which means they are vulnerable I guess. But then I'm supposed to be happy when the Bills barely scrape by, because all that matters is winning. No reason for alarm whatsoever. The defense allowed 40+ two weeks in a row. And when they finally got a chance to right the ship against a rookie QB with zero weapons and a terrible O-Line, they were absolutely torn to shreds. But don't worry. It will totally look different against Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, etc. in a couple weeks.

That chart is only considering the number of players on Injured Reserve. There are other factors to consider. So far, the Bills have been very fortunate not to lose any key players for the season (unlike the past few years). But they have still managed to keep a pretty steady rotation of starters injured every single week. And sadly, it always seem to be the same position group getting blasted at the same time. Go back a month, and the Bills were dealing with injuries in the passing game - with Amari Cooper, Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel and Dalton Kincaid all hurt at once. They have gradually trickled back into the lineup. But now we have been dealing with injuries to most of our defensive back seven. Safeties Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin, cornerback Rasul Douglas, and linebackers Matt Milano, Dorian Williams. That chart also doesn't account for the importance of players lost. The 49ers are listed near the middle of the pack. But I would argue their constant injuries throughout the year to key pieces had more impact than any other team. Then you have a team like Dallas, who lost their quarterback for the season.

Exactly. The Chiefs get a pass for their close wins because they have sleepwalked through the regular season before, and still somehow manage to almost always get the #1 seed anyway. Their fans are confident, because their team always turns it on in the postseason, regardless of how mediocre they looked up until that point. With the Mahomes/Reid combo, they have yet to miss making at least the AFC Championship game. Contrast that with the Bills, who are always running 1-2 steps behind their rivals. Just enough losses to keep them from getting a bye. Watching their defense collapse at the most important time of the year. Outside of that one Patriots game, the postseason is an absolute grind for us. Getting to the AFC Championship seems like an enormous mountain to climb. Much less getting to the Super Bowl and actually winning it.

I'm not that person always screaming to fire Sean McDermott. But if poor defensive play destroys yet another postseason run for the Bills... even his biggest supporters are going to have a tough time defending him. This franchise is carried by Josh Allen. He's on his third OC now (and may be looking at a fourth next year). He's seen the WR room totally overhauled, and has managed to improve through all of it. It's fair to believe that he would continue to thrive and make us a contender, regardless of who is the Head Coach of this franchise. The only things McDermott can hang his hat on... are having a consistently strong Defense and being able to keep a strong culture in the locker room. On the negative side, our Special Teams are continually one of the worst in the entire NFL. And of course the questionable game management decisions that continue to plague us year after year. I've been hopeful that McDermott FINALLY figures out how to get this Defense to perform in the playoffs. But this year he can't even get us to the postseason before that unit starts crumbling to pieces.

Because the Bengals are much better than their record. And the Steelers/Broncos are huge frauds. Chiefs win #1 seed. Ravens win AFC North. Bengals make the playoffs. We have to go through all three to make the Super Bowl. NFC representative is either Lions or Eagles. I don't think any of those predictions is unreasonable. Check back after Week 18.

Like I said... I have a feeling we don't see Allen play again during the regular season. If the Chiefs win on Wednesday, the Bills have literally nothing to gain. Why would they even consider risking injury? A couple huge performances by Jackson, and that Lions game will be a distant memory to MVP voters.

It was an overall terrible week of football for Bills fans. In terms of our Super Bowl chances: - The Chiefs pretty much locked up the #1 seed in the AFC. No way they lose the last two games. - The Ravens are going to overtake the Steelers in the North. Which means the Chiefs also avoid them in the Divisional Round. - The Bengals are a step closer towards that final playoff seed. Looking at the schedule, this one almost looks inevitable. This defense has been WELL below average most of the season, and has only gotten worse down the stretch. So much for a rebound against a terrible opponent and rookie quarterback. This unit will once again destroy our chances in the playoffs. No way they survive a postseason gauntlet of Bengals, Ravens, Chiefs, Lions/Eagles. Josh Allen will need to will this offense to 45-50 points every single game. And just for the cherry on top, Allen probably just killed his MVP chances with a terrible game... while injuring his throwing arm/elbow/hand. Not sure what we did to get a lump of coal in our stockings. But yuck.

Allen's MVP case is toast. The Chiefs will win on Christmas and clinch the #1 seed. The Steelers are the biggest frauds in the NFL. With nothing left to play for, the Bills will shut-down Allen for the remainder of the season. Especially with scares the last two weeks on his throwing shoulder and throwing hand. Meanwhile, the Ravens will destroy the Texans and take the lead in the AFC North. The final week they go against the clearly tanking Browns. Lamar Jackson will pad stats and walk away with at least 7-8 more touchdowns in the last two games. All those voters who said the MVP race was over after the Lions game... they will start backtracking.

There are 31 other teams in the NFL. It's NEVER good for a sports league to see the SAME franchise winning over and over and over and over and over. Especially after suffering through nearly two decades of the Patriots. Every other fanbase in the country is beginning to hate the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes with a passion, and eventually I think people are just going to turn it off. If it wasn't for Josh Allen and the slim hope we may someday pull one off, I know I would be done. That's what I did in the 90s with the NBA. Michael Jordan was a fun player to watch. But the dominance by the Chicago Bulls eventually just got tiresome and predictable. All the other great players during that period (Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, etc.) who couldn't sniff a trophy because of them was a true travesty. I can tell you that if the Buffalo Bills don't win a Super Bowl with Allen, that's it for me with the NFL.

That sounds about right. Don't forget the Ravens will win the AFC North, giving the Chiefs a cakewalk into the AFC Championship. And no doubt the Bills will suffer at least one major injury during the Wild Card game.

I don't think people are trying to make excuses. Sometimes a little bit of luck can make a difference getting through the playoffs. The difference between a Wild Card matchup and a Bye could mean additional injuries. Think about how many guys went down against Pittsburgh last year, and what they could have meant against the Chiefs a week later. I know we can beat anyone. But I like our odds better going through certain teams/quarterbacks, and being forced to play as few elite teams as possible.

The Ravens are probably the worst matchup for us on paper... but I also think our opinions are a little tainted based on that game earlier this year. I'm pretty sure things would go much different the second time around. That Week 4 game was the beginning of a rough 3-game stretch, where our outside receivers group and OC were trying to find their footing. Much has changed since early in the season. Since we added Amari Cooper, Keon Coleman started getting some experience under his belt, and Mack Hollins developed some chemistry, this offense has been on an absolute tear through the NFL. The Bills passing game would not struggle that badly again in a rematch. Don't forget, our defense was also missing key run defenders in the middle with Terrell Bernard and Taron Johnson (not to mention Matt Milano). Not to say these guys would cause us to completely shut-down Derrick Henry. But I certainly wouldn't expect him to just steamroll us again from the first snap. Finally, game script is hugely important. There is a reason that game was our first time being blown out in 3 years. Most teams cannot just run the ball down our throat all game, because they are worried about keeping up with Josh Allen and the offense. But when you combine our struggles at the time, along with the boost of Henry's quick TD run on the first play... it was just a perfect storm for them putting the whooping on us. And when we started getting some momentum and moving down the field, Joe Brady called that awful trick play that totally killed it. Like him or not, Lamar Jackson also has a history of playing poorly in the playoffs.

Best potential scenario is getting the bye... followed by Pittsburgh/Houston in the Divisional Round. Worst potential scenario is getting the #2 seed and being forced to play the extra Wild Card game... followed by Baltimore in the Divisional Round, and then Kansas City in Arrowhead for the AFC Championship. Yes, there is a very possible scenario that we end up with the worst of both worlds. Obviously we should be rooting for the Chiefs to lose, giving us a crack at the #1 slot. But if that doesn't happen, my hope is the Steelers win the AFC North. That would give us a much better shot at avoiding the Ravens in the playoffs. The Colts can't ever seem to beat the Jags with their season on the line. Their schedule seems easy. But I definitely wouldn't pencil them in at 3-0 down the stretch.

Lamar Jackson ranks slightly higher in his era (in my opinion, 3rd behind Mahomes and Allen). Kelly was probably #4 in his era (behind Marino, Montana and Elway). However, I think Jackson wouldn't have made it physically back in the 80's-90's. Injuries would have piled up and hurt his career. In today's game, Kelly would have dominated even more. In regards to MVP... that award was regularly given to running backs and receivers back in those days. So there was way more competition to win it. Today it is almost exclusively a QB award, with rare exceptions. Kelly rarely had the stats of his peers either, mostly due to Thurman Thomas getting a ton of work.

Excellent post. Younger fans have absolutely NO IDEA how much the rules have changed the NFL over the last 20-30 years, and how it's DRASTICALLY inflated offensive production and passing numbers. You can't even start to compare the different generations by simply looking at stats. The game is way easier for QBs today. It's a total joke to bring up things like yards, completion percentage or interceptions. Jim Kelly in 2024 gets a huge boost in stats. Today's passers in 1990 find things way tougher, and get a big drop. You mentioned the rules made to protect the QB, which is obviously huge for longevity. Guys can play 5-10 years longer, stay healthier during the season, and feel more comfortable throwing in the pocket with far less threat of taking a serious injury. But what about things like illegal contact, which has made pass defense a million times more difficult for corners? Or penalties for DBs hitting defenseless receivers, which makes it way easier to work the ball over the short/middle of the field? QBs today get tons of free checkdown yards now, which weren't available to guys back in Jim Kelly's day. More easy yards. Higher completion percentage. Less reason to risk interceptions. The list goes on and on. Kelly was one of the smartest and toughest QBs who ever played. A tremendous leader. He was very accurate, and had a powerful arm comparable with most starters in the NFL today. What else could you possibly want? He absolutely would be amongst the elite passers in today's game. And his stats would certainly be much better than what he posted during his career, due to all the reasons above. Throw in today's advancements in athletic training, he's Top 3 for sure, if not the top guy in the entire league. You also make a great point about Patrick Mahomes and how well his style may not have actually fit so well back in Kelly's day... but it also somewhat applies to Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. All of those guys are currently doing things the NFL has never truly seen before. But their mobility and ability to extend plays is clearly boosted by today's rules... which are specifically intended to protect QBs. There is a reason that "running quarterbacks" had trouble succeeding in the pros back then, and the few who did (Steve Young, Randall Cunningham) had relatively short careers compared to the pocket guys. Allen may be the outlier because of his size, but he's still taking much less punishment than he would have back in the 1980s or 1990s.

I'm fine with rivalries. But I wish opposing fans could show some respect, and not always try to put down the other guy's QB in an attempt to make their own guy look good. Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are all fantastic players, fun to watch, and on a HOF career trajectory. Jackson is having a great season. But simply on the basis of consistency, he is not the league MVP in 2024. Just last year, he won the award... despite being outside the Top 10 in most passing statistical categories. The reasoning was because of his team's record, and his performance in the biggest games of the regular season -- most notably the 49ers on Christmas Day. Based on the consistent standards MVP voters have set for the award, Allen deserves it this year.

You answered your own question exactly. All of these reasons above.

I'm sure Mahomes hurt his ankle. And I'm sure it's painful. But we've seen this over exaggeration drama from him before... getting carried off the field by teammates, and then "miraculously" finding a way to play. My guess is that he's questionable all week. But I will be shocked if he doesn't start on Sunday.