GunnerBill

Yep and the reason Burrow can't quite break into that rivalry in the same way is he doesn't have a team with the same divisional dominance. Buffalo and Kansas City both have the best QB and the best coach (now the Hoodie has gone) in their divisions and I'd say by a distance. Whereas Burrow does not have the best Head Coach in his division (indeed I'd argue Taylor is the worst Head coach in the AFC North) and the gap Burrow to Lamar is not as big as Mahomes to Herbert or Allen to Tua. I know Burrow was hurt this year so possibly not fair to point out that Cincy didn't win the division, but we shouldn't forget that the last two years when the Bengals did win the division the Ravens were actually in first place and then Lamar got hurt and they fell away. And that divisional dominance matters because it guarantees yearly match ups under the current scheduling model. I haven't crunched the numbers on this by the way but I actually think the Buffalo / KC rivalry which is obviously heightened now they have these two all timers at QB is probably one of the most common out of division match ups in the entire NFL going back 15/20 years. Since 2008 I can only think of three seasons (Rex's last season in 2016, Josh's rookie year in 2018 and I think 2019) where the Bills and Chiefs haven't met at least once and this will be the third time they have met twice.

Something I know from my own coaching experiences in soccer is anyone can coach when the bus is rolling. When results are good and confidence is high coaching is pretty easy. Where you find out who can really coach and who can really lead is when the bus is stalling and people are jumping off. It has come to mind the past couple of days with Siriani and McDermott. After that Philly game if I had said to you "one of these coaches will be fired in January" the entire world would have had their money on McDermott. But Siriani's team had some bumps and he was powerless to respond and in the end it was like a boulder rolling down a hill picking up speed as it went. McDermott somehow managed to bring his team back together, unify, refocus and make a run.

I was actually saying he is not really a defensive guru despite his coaching background being on that side of the ball. I think Tomlin is just a solid football coach but he is an example of a guy I think is more suited to Head Coach than coordinator.

Not just wrong but very wrong. Jordan Love is for real.

He is the one to watch. If we had a full week I'd be confident he would play. A short week makes me more nervy. I just think with him and Bernard out the level of athleticism in the middle our D takes a major hit. Williams can fly around but he is still a bit too rash and raw, and then Klein, Cam Lewis, Neal, even Dodson if healthy.... you lose a bit of burst at that level.

I was holding back in case you won.

They couldn't activate him yesterday. They needed Klein up (as was evidenced) and Isabella up given Davis was down.

Clear flag.

I could imagine him going to a team that plays less zone and hitting. Just not sure it is every going to come for him in this scheme.

I think so.

Yea not sure what they were watching. This weakness was very clear on his college film.

No I don't think it is. I think it is physical. I think his long limbs hurt him. He just looks awkward each time he tries to transition he is often late not becauee he diagnosed late but because he couldn't transition from drop to close quickly enough.

Awww bless.

Cam was actually having a nice game replacing Rapp in dime packages. But when Taron Johnson went out and he had to play the nickel and cover Johnson out of the slot he was an accident waiting to happen. I haven't heard anything about Taron today but on the basis I think Bernard will be out Taron becomes the guy to watch IMO. If we get him back I feel much better about our chances on Sunday.

Sure, you have to tackle running backs. And sure, Kaiir isn't the best at it. But that is not really what is keeping him off the field. What is keeping him off the field is the fact that has given up over a 70% completion rate to Quarterbacks in both his seasons as a Bill. And that comes down to his transitions. Could he tackle better on the outside? Sure. But if he was playing better in coverage he would be on the field. Even a coach like McDermott who wants his corners to play in run support doesn't draft a 1st round corner looking at that first and foremost.

I agree. If they had got it to say 4th and 3 then my preference would be go for it, over punt. But at 4th and 7 I'd punt. Worst case scenario I am making Mason Rudolph dink and dunk 75 yards in 2 minutes and the first couple of plays they are going to be considering the risk of giving the ball back to the Bills and that makes them call plays differently than starting at the opponents 33 where your whole play book is open to you.

They scored in 35 seconds, 5 plays, but from the Bills 33 yard line. Also when you are starting deep in your own end inside two minutes your first couple of calls are going to be more conservative. I don't think they score a touchdown from a punt. They might have scored a FG. Being conservative is bad if you are playing a team who can score quickly. Pittsburgh couldn't. They should have played conservative. I wouldn't have hated going for 4th down the way I hated the FG. But personally I want to give the Steelers in that situation zero free field position. Even if I make them start at the 25 - worst case scenario - I am giving them nothing free. They have got to drive 75 yards and they are starting in their own end. Fans are encouraged to hate conservative play calling. But there are times when it is the right play. The situation called for conservatism.

Well there should be. If you are playing Kansas City you go for it. 100% of the time. But you are not. You are playing Mason Rudolph leading a dink and dunk offense that can't get deep on you and has 2 minutes to go the distance. I think the VERY best they would have done is score 3 points.

OOooo. Ooooo. I know the answer to that one.... is it "Kyle Shanahan"?

I said before they tried it "you punt here." You have to play the game situation. The punt was the right option.

THIS has always been his biggest issue. He isn't the best tackler, but you don't draft 1st round corners to tackle running backs you draft them to cover receivers and his transitions - from drop to close or from showing press to playing off - are the thing that are keeping him off the field and causing him problems when he is on the field.

Because pinning the Steelers back with Rudolph might well have meant a 21-0 half time lead. I wouldn't have hated going for it but if they were going to do that they should have run on 2nd or 3rd down for a couple.

Yep. He played the INT perfectly. That is a play Benford or Jackson can't make. They don't have the athelticism to stay with Johnson there and be in position to undercut it. He remains the most talented corner on the Bills (with the possible exception of Tre White if we ever see him healthy again). But on the flip side he just isn't a natural fit in this scheme and so he makes mistakes the other guys don't make and he can't be trusted to do the fundamentals that the scheme requires as consistently. There might be a moment where it all clicks for Elam and if it does he will be a high end NFL corner. But it might never click and he may become an Eli Apple type former 1st rounder who bounces around as a talented but unreliable short term depth piece.

How do you interview Bill Belichick? I mean what do you ask him about philosophy etc? Surely we know who Bill Belichick is and what he does or doesn't bring?

On the actual topic here is my view in summary: 1. Mike Tomlin is a really good football coach; 2. Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers have overachieved in the last 4 or 5 years since Ben fell apart. To have made the postseason 3 of the last 4 years is a hell of a job under the circumstances; 3. Mike Tomlin can be legitimately be criticised for underachieving in the period between his Superbowl team in 2010 and Ben's arm falling off in 2018. They missed the playoffs twice in that period and lost playoff games to Flacco, Tebow and Bortles plus the ghost of Peyton Manning in the year he couldn't throw. This despite a top 5 QB, the best receiver in football, a good running game and some talent on defense; 4. I would never have called Tomlin as a great Xs and Os coach. He isn't even a great defensive mind despite coming from that side of the ball. His asset is his leadership and ability to build a competitive culture that brings the best out of his guys while letting them be themselves; 5. Mike Tomlin is arguably too good of a coach for where the Steelers currently are. They tried the "draft a QB in the middle of the 1st where we normally draft" approach and that hasn't worked. They need to bottom out somewhat to try and find a guy I think and I don't see a Tomlin side ever bottoming out; 6. If Mike Tomlin were to part company with the Steelers this week he would be employed within a fortnight as a HC elsewhere. I know I wasn't saying that as a direct comparison to Tomlin. Possibly not. But I don't think Pickett should be considered at this stage as the Steelers "starter"