msw2112

Nice post. Extremely applicable to the current situation with Allen.

I agree in part with this. In the Jags game, the penalty would have pushed them outside of FG range (65 yards), so you have to take the penalty. It was a horrible decision. In the Jets game, even with the penalty yardage, the Jets were still in Zuerlien's range (he has one of the strongest legs in NFL history - he's "Greg the Leg"). By accepting the penalty, it would have given the Jets another down to throw it downfield, potentially getting a long first down or drawing a penalty on the Bills (such as pass interference) which may have given the Jets a first down. So, in that situation, declining the penalty is not the same. What I think was the worst decision on the day was NOT calling timeout when the Jets were in FG range and the clock was at around 2:40. It allowed them to bleed an additional 40 seconds off the clock, which left much less time for the Bills when they got the ball back. When you have the ball, you can stop the clock by going out of bounds or spiking the ball. When you are on defense, you can't stop the clock, so that's a more appropriate time to use timeouts. Perhaps the Bills would have had time to score a TD and win the game if they had that additional time to work with, instead of settling for a long FG and OT.

At the time, I, at first, thought this was a bad decision. After thinking about it more, I was OK with it. Zuerlien has a very strong leg ("Greg the Leg") and can hit from 55. If the Bills take the penalty and the Jets ran a conservative play, they would have likely gotten a few yards closer, making the kick even a little bit easier. It's also possible, if the penalty was taken, that the Jets could have completed a long pass downfield (unlikely, but it's happened before), or gotten a pass interference penalty and a 1st down. So I don't see this as a terrible decision. It's one that could go either way. I also think that the decision to take the 3 points, as mentioned earlier in this thread, was the correct one. The Jets have a very good defense. If it was 4th and 1 or 4th and inches, you go for it. 4th and 2 or 4th and 3 against a good defense, in a game that looks like it will be a defensive battle, and Zach Wilson is the opposing QB, taking the points is the correct move. The mental boost it gave the Jets for limiting the Bills to a field goal is way less than the mental detriment it would have dealt the Bills if they had gone for it and not made it. As others have said, this did not cause the Bills to lose the game. In fact, it contributed to them being in control of the game into the 3rd quarter. Then the drive-killing turnover machine reared its ugly head and the Bills gifted the game to the Jets.

But he didn't win the Super Bowl, so his season was a total failure. (Activate sarcasm meter.) I sat on the couch together with my brother and my 2 daughters for 3 hours last night. That would not happen on a Monday night if the Bills were not playing. I'm still hugely disappointed with the outcome of last night's game, but getting together with family, friends, and other Bills fans ("extended family/friends") to watch the Bills is fun and something that adds to my life.

His team was very impressive against Dallas the other night.

You mean he wasn't 50 yards downfield in double-coverage?

That's true. They said last night that Allen is 0-5 in OT games in his NFL career, so it's been a while for sure. Another last-second WIN that came to mind was at Baltimore last season. Of course, I am talking in general, whereas the original thread was about season opening games. Last year's opener at the Rams (which I was able to attend in person) was a whole lot more enjoyable than the debacle that was last night.

The Bills have also WON their share of last second games. The most recent I can think of was the Thanksgiving game against Detroit last year.

I think he'll have 2 or 3 receptions. If they are all for first down yardage (particularly on 3rd down), I'll be happy.

The guy is charismatic and entertaining. And although not the most talented on the field, he was good enough, and such a gamer, that fans love him. Good for him to have success off the field. Even though he's from Arizona and went to college in Massachusetts, he's become a Buffalonian at heart.

I have both Tua and Herbert as QBs on my fantasy team. Tua had a good day from a fantasy perspective. To be successful in Fantasy (or any kind of football betting), you have to check your Bills allegiance at the door - for betting purposes only. The way I see it, I would have liked to see Tua stack up a bunch of points, but lose the game, so I'm disappointed in the outcome. I don't think he'll survive the season, hence having both him and Herbert on the team. Of course, I would have taken Allen over both of them, but he was not available at the time I picked a QB. I did, however pick up Diggs and will be thrilled when he both 1) puts up a lot of fantasy points and 2) wins the game against the Jests. As a side note, if I ever have to choose between the Bills losing or my fantasy team losing, it's no contest. Fantasy football is of little consequence if the Bills win. Many things in life are of little consequence if the Bills win!

I have not read through this entire thread, but you hit the nail on the head. It is a major weakness and certainly showed as such during the game. Dropped passes were the difference in the game. It killed numerous drives for the Chiefs.

I don't know if this statistic is good without comparing it to other teams' numbers. Subjectively, I think that Beane is an excellent GM overall and maybe average to slightly-above-average when it comes to drafting players. There are other aspects to the GM job that he's very good with. Cap management, pro personnel/free agency, media management, culture-setting, etc.

I guess the QB money went to Bosa, while Purdy is on a 7th round draft pick's rookie contract.

My wife, who doesn't know much about Bills history told me last night that Mike Williams died. I asked her, the 1st round offensive tackle from Texas? She said yes. So I was thinking it was him until I got to this thread this morning. It's terribly sad when any former Bills player or any person passes this young. RIP Mike and condolences to your family.

I agree. Len and Nick were the best. I can't recall exactly how it all transpired, but I think it jumped the shark when Collinsworth joined the cast. Later iterations with Collinsworth, Phil Simms and others were just OK, and the additions of Ray Lewis and Brandon Marshall (especially Brandon Marshall) made it truly unwatchable. I'll check out the new show, but my expectations are not high.

Your mom is awesome, and I mean that in the most respectful way. If you are a Buffalo sports fan that lives outside of WNY, then the streaming app gets you 70+ Sabres games. I'll be signing up for ESPN+ for the first time in October. Otherwise, you're right, not a ton of point to subscribing to ESPN+.

Hopefully, he's just getting used to the brace and working out the final kinks/soreness from the injury. He's got 11 or 12 more days to get right.

I agree that there's always an unknown WR or 2 that flashes in the preseason that gets the fans on this board excited, then they're never heard from again. It happens on other teams too. I don't know why, but I suspect that it's just easy to get open against 3rd and 4th string DB in preseason games and make a lot of catches, but not so easy against 1st and 2s. That said, this situation is slightly different. Isabella was a high draft pick, has played in the league for a few years, and has exceptional speed. Most of the preseason darling WRs are unknown UDFAs.

I'm with you 100% on this. The guy kept both of our beloved franchises in town and has even invested in the city itself. He's spent freely on both teams (absent one tough offseason with the Sabres, which in hindsight, looks like it was the right move) and made many moves (both bad and good) to try and improve the teams. And I'm no fan of fracking, but again, Terry gets a pass with me.

I'm listening. But please, respectfully, don't tell me what I am or am not imagining. It's condescending and inappropriate. There is no question that the Pegulas had no experience when they bought the Sabres. It's my opinion that through trial and error, and sure, some luck, they have learned from their mistakes and have a better idea of what they are looking for in GM and coaching hires. They appear to now prefer hires who are thoughtful and measured in their approach, who do their homework, have a plan, and stick to it. Beane, McDermott, Adams and Granato all fit this profile. It's a major contrast to the likes of Rex Ryan, Russ Brandon, Tim Murray, Ralph Kreuger and others who are more impetuous, marketing-focused, headline-seeking types that they've hired in the past. While there are college degrees in sports management, I would agree with you that most team owners don't have one (although some front office people probably do). I know someone who has such a degree and he's worked for an NBA franchise and now works for a major college sports program. He's not going to own a team anytime soon. But I still think that many people learn from their experience and that some owners who have been in the sports business have a better feel for hiring good people to run their teams due to that experience. That doesn't mean that there's no luck involved in professional sports success or that every sports team owner with past experience has benefitted from their experience, but to say that it's an imaginary concept is incorrect.

You are entitled to your opinion, but I think you are reading way too deeply into my comments. All I said was that the Pegulas lacked pro sports experience when they bought the teams and that's a fact. I think they have improved with experience, and that's not a fact, but an opinion. My opinion is based on where the Bills are today versus when the Pegulas bought the team and where the Sabres are today versus when the Pegulas bought that team. I also believe that in some cases, having experience can be helpful, but I agree with you that it's no guaranteed predictor of success. Some owners have no experience and win in their first season. Others own teams for decades and are mired in continual futility. All this said, I enjoy a good debate as much as the next guy, but I do have a full-time job and have to get back to it. Go Bills, Go Sabres, and F Stan Kronke.

There are numerous examples. I cited two, Kronke (who I'm no fan of, but was simply making the point that he had pro sports experience when he bought some of his teams), and Magic Johnson (a minority owner in first the Lakers, and later, the Dodgers). Jeremy Jacobs once owned the NBA franchise that is now the Sacramento Kings and now own the Boston Bruins. Jerry Reinsdorf owned the Chicago White Sox and later bought the Bulls (and still owns both). Ted Turner owned the Atlanta Braves, Hawks and Thrashers. Ted Leonis owns the Washington Capitals and Wizards. Paul Allen owns the Portland Trailblazers and Seattle Seahawks. Wayne Huzienga owned the Florida Marlins and Miami Dolphins. Tom Hicks owned the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. So, no, I am not making his point. There are clearly many more examples than "one owner out of 32." Not all of these owners have had success with each team, but many have. Kronke has titles in the NFL, NHL, and NBA. The patient rebuild of the Avalanche was similar to the rebuild the Sabres are doing now. Kronke may be a selfish prick and a money monger, but he did a good job being patient and letting his hockey people build a great team. He also let his GM blow up the cap to bring in Matthew Stafford, OBJ, Jalen Ramsey and other big names (the complete opposite approach to the Avalanche rebuild) and got a Super Bowl for the Rams. The Nuggets were something in the middle, but more similar to the Avalanche, building around Jokic and Murray with some strong role players and a great coach. Magic has titles with the Lakers and Dodgers. Jacobs has a title with the Bruins. Reinsdorf has titles with the Bulls (6) and White Sox (1). Turner has a title with the Braves, Leonis has one with the Capitals, Allen has one with the Seahawks, and it pains me to say it, but Hicks has one with the Stars (despite the obvious fact that Hull's skate was in the crease).

It depends on what you mean by "example." He has won titles in the NFL, NHL, and NBA, so sure, I'd sign up for some of that. He's had some successful GMs, coaches and players on his rosters. Personally, I think the guy is a scumbag. He screwed the city of St. Louis to make a buck that he certainly didn't need. His new stadium in LA was a big factor in luring the Chargers out of San Diego, screwing that fanbase too. I've been on this board long enough that I should know better, but the only point I was trying to make is that the Pegulas were novices in the sports industry when they bought the Buffalo teams and they struggled out of the gate. After gaining more experience, they have improved the quality of their hires and the quality of their teams. The Sabres took a lot more trial and error than the Bills and it has been a long and painful ride for Sabres fans, but they seem to have figured it out. I simply cited the example of Kronke as a guy with pro sports experience when he bought some of his teams. How does that translate to me being a fan of Kronke or wanting someone like him for Buffalo?

That's not true. For example, Rams owner Stan Kroenke owns the Denver Nuggets, LA Rams, and Colorado Avalanche, the MLS Colorado Rapids and some Euro soccer teams. He did not acquire all of these teams at the same time. He's won championships with the Rams, Nuggets, and Avalanche, so I suspect that he has a good feel for putting good people in place when running a professional sports franchise. Many other professional sports owners either own multiple teams, like Kroenke, or often sell one team (or their interest in it) and buy into others. Sometimes it's majority owners and sometimes minority owners like Magic Johnson, who owned a small piece of the LA Lakers and later bought a minority share of the LA Dodgers. I agree that most pro sports owners don't make their initial fortune in sports (it's usually real estate, oil, capital management, etc.), but some owners have experience in professional sports when they buy a team. The Pegulas did not have any such experience.