msw2112

I'd be interested to know if this is true. And if true, why Allen did it. Did he identify something in the defense that tipped him off that the left side would be wide open for the bootleg, or did he simply decide to gamble and take the game into his own hands? Either way, the result was fantastic, but I'd feel better about it if it was the former and not the latter. (I prefer an intelligent read properly executed versus a gamble that was lucky and paid off.)

I don't see that in Lawson - I don't believe that he's having a good year simply because it's a contract year. I think he's a young guy that came into the league injured and playing under one regime, then then switched to another regime. It took him some time to develop and get comfortable with his role in the current defense. I think he has shown steady improvement every year and has the fire to be a good player. If you can re-sign him to a reasonable deal, you do it. If another team lures him away with over-the-top dollars that are going to hurt the long-term salary cap, you wish him well at his next stop.

I was pro-Rosen. I still think he has talent, but has not been put into a situation where he has any chance to succeed. He has been on the worst team in football 2 years in a row. No OL, no WR, no running game, etc. Plus, his teams have had rookie coaching staffs with seemingly no plan in place. I hope he ends up somewhere that he has a chance to show what he can do. That aside, I am very happy that we have Allen and if re-drafting, would take him above any of the other guys. He is doing very well so far and still has a ton of room for growth. Mayfield and Darnold will be solid starting NFL QBs. Rosen might, if he can get into the right situation. Jackson will be boom or bust, but I think that injury will do him in. He's booming so far this year, but I think he will struggle against better defenses and he has a pretty small and thin frame that could get him injured as long as running is a big part of his game. Allen has all of the physical ability, plus a bigger, stronger frame to sustain more hits (and being taller, he might not get as many head shots). If he continues to progress in the mental part of the game (which he is demonstrating an ability to do), the sky is the limit for him. He could be a huge star. He's not there yet.

I agree with the earlier post indicating: 1) McD is evolving as he gains more experience as a head coach and is making better in-game decisions; AND 2) McD has more confidence in the current squad, which is allowing him to take more risks, as the chances of success are greater. Not only is he better at down and distance, he's also better with clock management and replay challenges. I am enjoying seeing the improvement! That said, I disagreed with the decision to kneel down at the end of the 1st half of the Giants game. We had time, decent field position, timeouts and lots of momentum. We let our foot off of their throats and allowed them to get back in the game a little bit. I would have tried to get into FG range (at least). I realize that there is the risk of a sack, fumble or INT, but the way the momentum was at that point in the game, I think it would have been worth the risk.

He's got a little Brett Favre in him. Makes amazing plays and wills the team to victory. With that comes some poor decisions. He's still very young and green, so hopefully he can work those poor decisions out of his game.

To my knowledge, the stats don't factor in WHEN in the game things occur. In close games, long drives in the 4th quarter that result in a TD are evidence of a successful offense. Although it would be great to see the offense be consistent throughout the entire game, it isn't realistic. Despite his mistakes in earlier parts of the game, Allen and the offense has been clutch late in the game. They have put together long scoring drives in the 4th quarter when they needed it. That's why they are 3-0. This is what the team has lacked in the past. Tyrod Taylor kept the team in games by playing mistake-free football, but when we NEEDED a score late in the game, he couldn't product it. Fitzy played some great games and put up some points, but when they NEEDED it late in the 4th quarter, it usually ended up in a turnover. Allen seems to have the "it" factor and he seems to be a winner. We're only 3 games in so far and have not played the best opponents, but I like what I see so far. Stats are great for Fantasy, and Allen and Brown cost me there, but I will take the win on the field any day!

I (respectfully) disagree with this. I spend a fair amount of time in SE Wisconsin. I'm actually going to be in Milwaukee tomorrow. I also lived in Chicago for many years. Kenosha (the SE border of WI and IL) and Racine (the next city to the north) are all very much Packer territory. The folks in those areas have a term called "FIBS" - "Fuc*&ing Illinois Bast*#ds." They strongly dislike Chicago and Illinois. They are all about Wisconsin and love the Packers. I do agree that there are some Packer fans in Minnesota as Wisconsin and Minnesota share a border and the Packers have a longer history.

While true, it really depends on how you define "market." The Packers' true "market" is the entire state of Wisconsin, including Milwaukee and Madison, which have much larger populations than Green Bay. That said, Rochester and other parts of upstate & Western NY, and arguably Southern Ontario, are parts of the Bills market. Depending on how you run the numbers, the Packers' market is larger than the Bills'. If you include Toronto, the Bills would have the larger market, but if the "Toronto series" is evidence, Toronto is not part of the Bills market. And, as a prior post just mentioned, Green Bay has a national following due to its history and tradition. Plus, players like Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers drive TV ratings, as people want to see marquee players. Let's hope that Josh Allen evolves into that type of player!

If they win a lot of games and make the playoffs, they will be respected. Even if they lose to the Patriots twice, but still win 10 or more games and make the playoffs, they will be respected. Honestly, though, why should we care? What others think or feel about the Bills is meaningless. Let's just enjoy the season. Clearly, the franchise is doing all the right things and is moving in the right direction.

The article mentions the she "did sometimes meet 'professional athletes' at the Marriott Harborcenter hotel." That's only been open a couple of years, so some of this may happened pretty recently. Let's hope no current Bills or Sabres players get wrapped up in this mess.

I can't stand OBJ, but I side with him on this one. And, OBJ, like him or not, is one of the best at his craft. The same can't be said for Greggggg.

This was one of the best football articles I have read. Fair and balanced reporting, with analysis (and some opinion) based on facts. Used real examples to back up the statements. This guy knows what he's talking about. We don't often get treated to this level of quality analysis. Thanks to the OP for sharing this.

If a roster move is made for a DB, who is released? Connor McDermott? I was surprised that he made the roster.

With Taron Johnson injured, this could be an issue for our defensive backfield. Let's hope it isn't serious.

Does anyone know if they have "family bathrooms" in the family section? I want to take my 6 year old daughter to the game. It might just be the two of us. I would rather not go to the game than bring her into the men's rooms that I have used in the stadium and I cannot go into the women's bathroom. Frankly, I wouldn't send her into the women's bathroom alone either, as it's just such a mass of people, and many drunk ones. Perhaps I'm just an overprotective dad, but I can't make it 4 quarters without using the restroom and anyone with a younger child knows that they always need to. I would also like to have a few pre-game at a tailgate, which guarantees a need to use the facilities.

McD has improved his game management substantially since he first became a head coach. He made some questionable decisions in the past on the use of timeouts, replay challenges, clock management, etc. I think that he knew he had room for improvement and he took measures to improve. He managed Sunday's game, including the final minutes, perfectly and exactly as he should have. He milked the play clock down as far as possible. Yes, he could have taken the 5 yard penalty vs. the timeout, but there were good reasons for taking the timeout. Not attempting a long FG was absolutely the right call. Miss that kick and you are in much greater danger of losing the game than if you punt. Plus, even if you make the FG, you then have to kick off to the other team, risking the chance of a KO return. A KO return for a TD is more probable than a drive for a score from the 20 yard line with 12 seconds left and no TOs.

I agree it was a mixed bag, which is what I expected for a line that hadn't played any snaps as a unit. Morse was facing another team for the first time since last season. They were also on the road against a team with an experienced DC (for what that's worth) and some talented guys in their front 7. Obviously, they didn't get much of a push on the safety, but were terrific opening holes for Singletary in the 4th quarter, as well as the aforementioned Allen 3rd down run for a 1st. I believe they will get better with time, assuming they can stay healthy.

Murray's situation is a little different because it's his first ever NFL start and, as mentioned, he was the #1 overall pick. He's also paired with a rookie Head Coach who is implementing a scheme that hasn't been adopted in the NFL to the extent they are adopting it. Murray is also 5'10" (perhaps in heels), which makes him a major anomaly for a highly drafted NFL QB. That aside, I haven't seen much in the national media that is critical and disrespectful to Allen and is simultaneously praising Murray.

I don't think comparing tennis to the NFL makes sense for this topic. It's a non-contact sport. And I really don't care if a wealthy guy breaks his watch during a game, or if the sponsor is comping him the watch, I don't care if they take a loss on the value of the watch. I think it's really question of player safety. Nothing good can come out of wearing a watch during a football game. If the watch were to break during an impact, small metal parts or jewels (or whatever else is part of this watch) could get into a player's eye and do some damage. Even if it didn't break, it could injure a player during a tackle or other contact. It's reckless and stupid and just the kind of thing a "look at me" player like OBJ would do. I'll stick with "process" guys. It's stuff like this that shows why the Giants moved on from a player with such immense talent.

Can we just focus on Week 1 now? (No disrespect meant for the OP.)?

If he's out for an important regular season game, particularly against his old team against whom he has an ax to grind, it must be more than a minor quad injury. I was thinking bruise, but perhaps it's a pull or strain that needs time to heal and could be aggravated by playing. Too bad, as he would have been great to have in this one. McKenzie's hands concern me and I hate to expose Hyde to injury on ST. I wonder if Roscoe Parrish is available...I think he's in jail.

I think we will struggle to run the ball. The Jests have a good DL and our OL has not played a single snap as a unit. Hopefully, they can give Allen some time to throw, as he'll need it, although some underneath stuff to Beasley may be available. Our pass D is strong, and hopefully we can bottle up Bell. Not sure to what to expect from him, but I think the Jests OL is pretty lousy, so they may struggle to run the ball too. The Bills should win a close one.

I live in Arizona and can attest that Larry Fitzgerald is a class act, on and off the field. He's a huge part of the community. I met Andre Reed a few years ago, and one of my best friends just met him a few months ago at a charity benefit in Philly. Great guy, all class. I have never met Jerry Rice and don't know anyone who has, so I cannot personally attest to his character. He certainly comes off in the media as a class act and I would bet he is not involved in any illicit illegal activity. So I disagree with your assessment of my comments. Further, Antonio Brown and TO, by way of example, are not only "flamboyant" on the field, but have shown to be total asshats off the field. Marvin Harrison is an obvious exception. I'll give you that one.

I think that WR's (and to an extent DBs) tend to be divas is because they are usually the fastest players on the team, the most athletic and have the most "quick twitch" ability. They are the ones who make the acrobatic catches and catch the long bombs. Chicks dig the long ball. They are used to getting the most adoration and don't like to be out-shined by others. As bad as some of these guys are, they are counterbalanced by the classy guys like Larry Fitzgerald. Going back a few years, Jerry Rice - perhaps the greatest WR of all time - was a classy guy. Our own HOF'er Andre Reed was also a class act.

No - my opinion only. No statistical or factual basis. Thus, a huge game and a must win for the Bills.