K-9

Per the bold text: Yes, the Sabres were the worst team last year and, over the last 23 games, they are again the worst team in the league. I find that more than coincidental. I see it as reverting to form and it’s more than a legitimate reason to be concerned. And it’s EVERY reason to call out the current regime and strategy. 20 points better is a nice improvement, but it’s not acceptable given where they were at the end of the streak. Not in the least. As fluky as it may have been, it changed the measuring stick. We are now seeing their inability to meet higher expectations. I’m not OK with that after years of willfully lowering my expectations in the hopes of seeing real progress. And the analytics suggest we haven’t made real progress while other poor teams have and continue to do so. Somehow, even though they’ve had regime turnover, they’ve been able to improve while we remain stagnant. I have to ask why. It’s a reasonable question. I constantly point out the timeline because as it stands now, it’s going to take another few years. That gets us to 10 years and counting. Hard pill to swallow given the success of other bad teams in much shorter time frames. I wish i could be encouraged by what I’ve seen but, other than an exciting winning streak, there really isn’t much to celebrate, other than watching Jack’s line and a few promising rookies. Waive the dead weight and bring up the kids. Status quo isn’t doing anything.

Stay the course. Stay the course. That’s all fine and dandy as long as everyone realizes exactly what that means. And that’s asking an awful lot of a fan base that has suffered seven years of no post season play. And finishing dead LAST a couple of times along the way. I’ve asked the question before: how long will staying the course take to get there? Is that acceptable when added to the time it’s already taken? Do we stay the course with the players currently assembled? The obvious answer suggests that won’t work. Unless JBotts is willing to trade promising prospects, we lack the necessary ammo to make the deals necessary to get better, already established NHL ready players so we have to commit to the youth movement and that’s not staying the course. Waive or send the dead weight to Rochester and get on with it already. The course for this season is the same as seasons past and we know where it’s going. Let’s see what the kids can do at the NHL level.

The line of thought holds if people in LA complain about “losing” the Rams to Cleveland when they move back there.

St. Louis didn’t “lose” the Rams so much as they returned them to LA.

That’s atypical of this team. I look for a neater second half.

Not a fan of that floor color scheme. Fugly.

Much of this I agree with. Collapse vs. faltering? To go from where we were after the first 25 games to literally being the worst team in the league over the last 23 is the definition of collapse. No need to parse the language, although I appreciate your optimistic take even in that regard. About those consequential moves in the off-season, other than (hopefully) attracting a top FA or two (and that’s a big if given the state of the team), with what capital do we use to transact those moves? Draft picks JBotts won’t and shouldn’t trade? Prospects he shows no interest in moving at this time? Certainly not those useless vets we currently have. As it stands right now, we are entirely dependent on the kids on the farm and future picks yet to be made. And if that’s the case, we may as well start the youth movement as I, Plenz, and Harrington have suggested. I just don’t think JBotts and Housley see eye to eye on that score. I look forward to the future and will certainly continue to root like hell. But this team as currently comprised, is not a good team. Simp,e as that.

I can see that. He’s shown a propensity for targeting specific players so I can see him acquiring chips to use to move up to get one.

Beane advertising that he’s open for business!

I’m guessing Wade brackets them on 3rd downs and dares someone else to beat him. I think LA’s LBs have to play lights out in coverage to counter NE’s*** RBs in the passing game. They’re good, especially White. I know one thing, Wade couldn’t be more familiar with the Pats*** schemes.

I like Wade’s chances with two weeks to prepare and a D line capable of getting in Tommy’s grill.

Per the bold text, can’t agree more. Nobody knows better than a HC who made his name on the D side of the ball how much easier it is to play defense and dictate more outcomes when you have big leads in the 4th quarters of games.

We were calling out the the plays to Gronk every time he was split wide and single covered. That comes with just watching so many Pats*** games over the years. And that’s just from the regular TV angle. KC staff simply should have known better.

Film study should have informed the KC staff the same way it did Romo.

Mr. Wilson wasn’t that patient as Polian was run out after only 3 SBs.

Has a male coach of a female team ever been asked the same question she was asked at the press conference? I submit the person who asked such a question is the real sexist pig. Not soon enough.

This constant conflation of codes of conduct established by private business with due process in courts of law is tiresome. Gilbert and Fattey are free to pursue this outcome in the courts if they desire. In the meantime, they were found to have violated PSE’s established codes of conduct and that stands. Period.

This makes the most sense.

Laughing at the Plenz reference. We are of similar mindsets when it comes to the Sabres. While I agree that Botterill will most likely stay the course, I am also preparing for the worst. There is a reason we were in last place last season and it’s the same reason we have the league’s worst record since the streak. We have reverted to form. We need an obvious infusion of talent. But where will it come from? There won’t be any trades for picks or for the nondesireable players on our team (we have several). Botts would be a fool to part ways with young prospects he’s devoted time to at the NHL level. His only recourse is to bring up the kids as Harrington pointed out. But I think that’s where he and Housley differ. And Idon’t trust Housley at all with young talent as I think he’d put Smith and Nylander on fourth lines, see them struggle, and then sit them. Like he’s done with Pilut who, despite his struggles is literally our best defenseman from a Corsi analytics perspective. So we have overpaid, under talented vets who we can’t do anything with and a HC who is too timid to struggle through an all out youth movement. Last place beckons again, I’m afraid. Maybe we will get lucky with the lottery two years in a row. Oh, and Harrington is absolutely right about Scandella. He simply has to go. Now. To whatever team is willing to give us whatever for him. But again, Housley is seemingly intractable on that point.

I see Harrington is coming around to my way of thinking: https://buffalonews.com/2019/01/21/buffalo-sabres-nhl-phil-housley-jason-botterill/

I’m not talking statues and codes at all. I’m talking the code of conduct clauses in standard NFL contracts and the right of private businesses to enforce punishment as they see fit in accordance with those rules. The idea that the NFL is acting as law enforcement is absurd. And you’re right. The state can bring charges if it deems it worthwhile, the woman can press charges or not, and Hunt is free to seek remedy from the NFL. Or not.

I didn’t come close to saying Mahomes choked. And he certainly turned it around in the second half. But KC’s offense was a total no show in the first half. It speaks well of Mahomes that he was able to turn it around like he did against a tough NE*** defense.

KC’s D does indeed suck. But they’ve given up all of 17 points. Certainly not an insurmountable amount of points and a more than respectable performance against Brady and Co. KC’s offense has not lived up to its billing today. Gotta give the NE*** defense credit.

Can’t advance a muffed punt.