K-9

Is Josh Allen supposed to apologize for not being Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, or Patrick Mahomes? Really? He was so far behind those guys developmentally coming into the league (light years, essentially), is still far behind today, and yet people still insist on holding him to their standard, regardless. Makes zero sense.

Tells me they play from behind a lot.

I don’t understand it, either. We are way ahead of where most, especially the talking head pundits, thought we’d be this year. And the continued development of our young players, especially Edmunds, Milano, and Allen has been a major factor. I’ve come to accept that anything short of a Super Bowl win won’t be enough to satisfy certain people. Too bad, because it’s a fun ride.

Are we a young, talented team or a team with those eight areas of need and holes to fill? Which is it? I’d say we’re a work in progress with an upward trajectory.

I can respect that. But there is a segment of the forumthat offers up opinionated posts as pronouncements. And that’s just foolish given where Allen is in his development. In the meantime, Allen is by far the least developed QB of his class, but he owns a winning record and is headed for the playoffs. Only one other QB from his class can say that. Not bad.

The entire Eastern Conference for that matter. If the season ended today, both wildcards would be from the Metro division.

No doubt there has been an improvement, both on a team level and and individual level, like Risto for instance. And that’s a positive. But again, it’s a hard sell to tell us loyal fans that after 8 years of utter futility, including a designed tanking, that we are finally at a point where we just have to be patient. That’s what’s most frustrating. For me at least.

Well, those aspects of QB play that don’t involve throwing the ball, for starters. Allen was the greenest of green horns entering the league. He followed a path to the NFL that entailed the least amount of QB experience and development; the polar opposite of his peers who attended elite QB camps from middle school on and who then went on to become star recruits at the position at major college programs. He was just miles behind developmentally and that needs to be remembered. There is an old scouting axiom that still holds true: it takes 1,000 attempts to make a determination on a prospect as a passer. Just because we live in a cap era with free agency and the compressed time schedules for development as a result, doesn’t make that any less true. ESPECIALLY for under developed prospects coming in, like Josh Allen for example. The pressure for these young QBs to be immediate success stories and lead teams to playoff and SB wins is intense, even unprecedented. But Allen is still a couple hundred attempts away from that 1,000 mark and all signs point to an upward trajectory. I’ll choose to wait before pronouncing judgement on his success as an NFL quarterback.

Maybe by fans who judge the position on only the most superficial level. And that’s fine. But those fans are missing the bigger picture in the meantime.

That’s on you, then. But you may want to brace yourself because Allen is going to have bad plays, bad series, and bad games while you’re waiting. You’ll be wallowing in more misery. It’s interesting, from a psychological standpoint, that his bad throws are so definitive while every other aspect of QB play, INCLUDING those aspects that don’t involve throwing the ball, are ignored.

The frustration lies in going 8 years with no playoffs and then being told we have to be patient. I know JBotts and Co. have nothing to do with the mistakes of Darcy Regier and Tim Murray before he arrived, but it’s a tough sell to the most loyal fan base in the league.

This idea that EVERY poor throw by Allen is a referendum on his ability is total crap. I suspect that idea is offered up by those who don’t watch much NFL football in general and QB play in particular.

I can’t believe they called it at all against the Pats***. No team in the league comes close to running the number of illegal pick plays that they do.

Normally, I’d agree. But Brady has been getting his ass handed to him with blitzes the last several weeks. McFrazier gave Brady little to think about all night. Way too predictable.

Sabres game will be over at 3:30 or so, barring OT. Plenty of time before the Bill kickoff at 4:30. Have a great time!

Duffer said Eichel’s streak is over. It’s just not right that Eichel’s streak ends in a game he can’t play due to injury. Never seen a goalie so out of position so often. Hutton has got to go.

Bottoms up! Enjoy!

Really? You really don’t get the raw excitement of the fan base? Really? Check your pulse.

Well, at least Jones won’t be around to concuss Josh this time around.

Use the snub as fuel. Snub fuel.

Not buying it. Not. At. All.

That may be true, but there is little to no similarity in the blocking schemes employed and that makes all the difference. As I mentioned previously, Roman uses BOTH zone concepts as well as man concepts during the course of a series and game. Other teams, like us for instance, simply don’t do that because of the sheer physical traits required in an O lineman to do so effectively on a play by play basis. That might be the most confusing challenge Roman offers up to a defense, too.

Gotta love Tre White. Ya just gotta.

Agree entirely. What he also has in Lamar, unlike in Kaep and Taylor, is a QB who is NOT risk averse in the passing game. Granted, they haven’t had to rely on their pass game very much, but Jackson has shown he’s not afraid to chuck it and make a play. But like Kaep in SF, I’m not sure it’s a sustainable system. DCs will again make it a point to ignore the “mesh point” or “pitch” confusion and instruct their DLs and LBs to hit Jackson, regardless. It will take a toll eventually. It’s inevitable when your QB is taking an inordinate number of risks as a running back.

This can’t be overstated. Especially with his use of multiple blocking schemes. While nothing new in terms of those schemes themselves (power/man, inside/outside zone, etc,) his use of BOTH equally is unique. Most OLs, like ours for instance, are more suited for one or the other, seldom both, simply because of the different lineman types required to maximize each. Not so in Baltimore.