msw2112

I lived in Chicago at the time and was there for that Cup run and watched many Bills and Sabres games there in the years that followed. I saw the story this AM and it is very sad. The "lesser" bad news is that the bar appears to be destroyed, and the real bad news is the firefighter losing his life. May he rest in peace.

The Dolphins are certainly not a bad team. They have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball and particularly on offense. I just don't think they're a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The best teams that they played, the Bills and Chiefs, handled them pretty easily. The final score against the Chiefs was close, but not really indicative of how the game went. So I'm not saying they're a terrible team - I just think they're not as good a team as their record or "power ranking" indicates. They are vulnerable, and the Bills, as poorly as they've played, can still catch them for the division. That said, a lot has to happen before then. The Bills need to get out of their own way and start playing to their ability. And back to the original point of the thread, in order to start playing to their ability, the Bills need to play like the Texans are playing - loose, aggressive, and as if there are no weighty expectations.

The Bills and Texans are polar opposites right now. There were no expectations on the Texans, so they're just coming in, playing loose, taking chances, and allowing their talent to shine. The Bills, on the other hand, have the weight of the world on them. They were/are expected to contend. Everyone is saying their window of opportunity is closing. Veteran players such as Poyer, Hyde, and Miller (and others, like Murray, etc.) are nearing the end of the line. They are wound way too tight, and it shows in their play, particularly on offense. Anyone here play golf? How do you play when you are thinking intently about every swing, versus when you're loose and just "grip it and rip it?" The Bills need to just grip it and rip it. Play no-huddle. Let the offense score some points. If the defense gives up a few (which they will, given the injuries), that's fine. Line up the offense and go score some more. I'm not sure how to change the mentality of the Bills right now, but they still have enough talent to be among the best teams in the league, and are in their own heads right now. The defense is limited with injuries, but Douglas and Joseph should help. Maybe Miller will improve as he works his way back. I've always been a McDermott supporter and I know that many on this board are ready for him to be shown the door. Maybe the message is getting stale and a fresh new approach is needed. That said, I'm willing to see how this season plays out - it's still early and the Bills are in the mix at 5-4 and will be even more so if they beat Denver tonight to get to 6-4. The all-world Bengals are also 5-4, coming off a loss. The all-world Ravens are 6-3 and coming off a loss and will be only 1 game ahead of the Bills if the Bills win tonight. Realistically, because of the logjam in the AFC, and the Bills having so many conference losses, the Bills will lose out on AFC wild-card tiebreakers. They need to focus on winning the East. Despite the loss to NE, the Pats are terrible. The Jests will go nowhere with Zach Wilson at QB. Even if Rodgers comes back, it will be too late. The Dolphins are front-running pretenders. The Bills beat them once and can/should beat them again. So the Bills need to find a way to hang within one-game of the Fins, as they currently are, and can take the division and make the playoffs in the final game of the season on January 7. After that, in a single-elimination tournament, anything can happen. I realize that I'm taking the glass half-full approach at this point, but what's the point in the opposite approach?

I think this kids' hat looks pretty cool, and, of course, the kimono! Otherwise, this stuff is complete dreck.

I've generally been a McD supporter, but I agree that the rotation is bothersome. In crucial situations, I want to see our best players on the field. Too often, on a key play, I see the guys whose spot in the rotation has come up, on the field, rather than the best players. It just doesn't seem like a smart way to approach things. I also realize that the injuries have really hurt this defense - they were playing lights-out beforehand - but, a coach needs to properly utilize the guys that are available.

I don't think he's slowing down per se, but, as others have pointed out, he's moving a bit slower for 2 reasons: 1) He's trying to keep his eyes downfield to look for a potential throw 2) He's gauging where the defenders are so that he can time a slide or run out of bounds, to avoid a big hit. In the past, he would just go full steam ahead and try to run over whoever or whatever might be in the way. I'm OK with both of these, even if it slows him down a bit. That said, if he sees an opening, he should take it. He's a fantastic runner and it's part of his game. He just needs to avoid the big hits. Yes, he can deliver them and yes, he's tough and can take a lot of them, but he needs to keep himself as healthy as he can. If that means getting 18 yards instead of 20, so be it. I'd, of course, make an exception where the game is on the line. If it's 4th down in the 4th quarter of a close game, he has to do whatever it takes to get past the sticks. It's all about situational awareness.

Most of this is true, but there were way more Bills fans at the game than Jags fans. I was one of them. This is who was at the game, in order: 1. Bills fans 2. NFL football fans who live in Europe/the UK who came to see a live NFL game, regardless of who their favorite team is 3. Jags fans So it's true that the Jags got an extra week to adjust to the time zone, but the fact that the Jags have adopted London as their 2nd home was not an advantage at least not against a team with a fanbase like the Bills have. The Bills should have left on Monday, or Tuesday at the latest. Leaving on Friday may not be the only reason they lost, but it certainly contributed to them coming out very flat and not being sharp for most/all of the game. I got there before they did, and I was jetlagged well past the time they left.

And Rapp (who was on the same Rams team as Edwards and Von)?

Last year, I knew we were going to get smoked in the playoff game. Before Hamlin went down, the Bengals were moving the ball and scoring at will, while the Bills could only manage a FG. By the time the playoff game rolled around, the Bills were not playing any better, but the Bengals were in high gear. Also, Frazier basically came right out and said "we're going to do what we do" on defense and they lived up to his word. They did what they do and got shredded. This year, the Bills defense is depleted and they're going to give up some points, but hopefully, they can be creative enough to force a turnover here or there that will help, and the Bills offense will continue the momentum from Thursday night. The offense was great on Thursday, but they took their foot off the gas and played conservatively from the middle of the 3rd quarter on. That won't get it done against Cincinnati. They need to keep the foot on the gas for 4 quarters. I don't know if the Bills will win this game, but I am optimistic that we'll see a better performance than we saw in our 5 quarters against the Bengals last season.

With Harris out, this move makes sense. A guy with some talent, experience, and maybe some gas left in the tank who can fill a spot that needed to be filled, that cost no draft assets and not likely much cap space either.

I watched it in real time and I thought they should have gone for it on 4th and 1. Given the time remaining, timeout situation, momentum, etc., it seemed to me to be the right decision in that situation. The missed FG gave the Jets better field position and I was concerned that if the Giants had made the FG, the Jets could have gotten a big kick return which could have put them into a good situation. Throw in the fact that the Giants had no threat of a pass and basically no offense. Everyone knew that if the game went to OT, the Giants were not going to win. It was the one rare situation where I thought the Giants should NOT have taken the ball in OT. I was telling my wife (who had no idea of what I was talking about, nor did she give a sh*&) that the Giants were going to go 3 and out, punt, give the Jets great field position and lose the game on a FG. I also agree that if the Giants had not taken that stupid Offside penalty, none of this would have mattered. Given the time remaining and the lack of timeouts, the Jets did not have enough time to get the necessary yardage and get the Field Goal unit onto the field. One positive was that it was an exciting finish to an otherwise horrible game. Some good football entertainment on a day the Bills were not playing.

You have it right on a couple of fronts. The fact several people saw it and all saw something different may be why the officials didn't call anything. THEY all saw something different and couldn't come to a consensus, so they decided to let it all "offset" without calling anything and they moved on with the game. NFL officiating is also terrible in general, and has been for a while now.

I often disagree with McDermott's in-game decision making. I don't think it's due to a lack of effort, hard work, or dedication. I don't know him personally and have never worked with him, so I can't say why he makes some the decisions that he makes. Maybe he doesn't process information quickly in stressful situations. Maybe he just sees the risks/rewards differently than I do. I have no idea. I wish he were better at it. That said, I'm comfortable with him as the Bills head coach. He's had a very good track record and the good far outweighs the bad. It's easy for fans on a message board to second guess after the fact.

I'm somewhat older myself and see where you are coming from. From my perspective, if the team makes a mistake in execution, or if the other team just makes a great play, I can live with that. Passes are dropped, facemasks are inadvertently grabbed, etc. On the other hand, when stupid decisions on things that are completely within the team's control are made, I get very frustrated. A good example is when Tampa was in disarray on a 4th down and the clock was running out. Should they punt, go for the field goal, or go for it? They don't know. The BILLS take a time out, giving Tampa plenty of time to settle down and make a decision. Why? Or in the Pats game. There's a penalty inside the 5. The Bills can accept the penalty and have 4 downs from the 2 yard line, or decline it and have 3 downs from the 1 yard line. The extra down, if unsuccessful, gives the Bills a chance to run an additional 40 seconds off the clock or force New England to take a timeout. If successful, the Bills are no worse off. What do they do? Decline the penalty. Forego an extra down in exchange for 1 yard. The Bills get the TD, but the critical 40 seconds and/or timeout remain available to New England, which ultimately comes back to haunt the Bills. Those same types of decisions, in the playoffs, against a good team, could cost the team their season. I like McDermott and am very grateful for what he's done for the franchise. I don't think is job should be in jeopardy. Every coach, even Hall of Famers like Belichick, make head scratching decisions at times. All that said, I still think that McDermott can be better and make smarter in-game decisions.

I'm happy the Bills got an important win. There were many positives, but here are a few: 1. The offense was much better than in recent weeks. Getting the ball to the open guy is the right thing to do. Sure, Diggs' stats took a hit (he's on my fantasy team), but it was great to see Davis, Shakir, and Kincaid having great games. It will make the Bills much more difficult to defend. Cook ran the ball effectively when his number was called. 2. The defense played better. Given all the injuries, I thought they performed better than they did last week. While they gave up a late TD and a 2 point conversion, and allowed Tampa to get into position for a Hail Mary, they contained Tampa for most of the game and Tampa got a lot of help on inadvertent penalties. I disagree with those who say that Phillips' penalty was a dumb play that warrants cutting him. Have any of those folks every played the game? Things happen very fast in real time. Phillips was just trying to tackle Mayfield and his hand got inadvertently caught up in the facemask. He couldn't even see where his hand was at the time. Unfortunate, yes. Intentional/stupid? No. 3. Special teams was better. Bass did not miss any kicks and Harty had a breakout game as a punt returner. Harty was MUCH better than he has shown all season and he did so on multiple occasions. Also a few negatives: 1. The offense played a bit too conservatively late in the game. They didn't score a point after the midpoint of the 3rd quarter. They should have gone for it on at least one of the late 4th downs to put Tampa away. The depleted defense can't be relied on and it almost backfired. Tampa had a legitimate chance on the Hail Mary. 2. McDermott's use of timeouts on defense is baffling. He consistently gives a harried offense, with time running down on them, a chance to regroup and get settled. It usually costs the Bills. It gives me flashbacks of 13 seconds. 3. The goal line offense. Take a couple of shots at a QB sneak. "Tush push" or not, Allen is a big strong guy who can get a yard or less a very high percentage of the time. Even if you get stuffed once, chances are they're not going to stop it twice. So, overall, I'm happy with the win, but see room for improvement in the game management. I'm not ready to fire anyone or put them on the hot seat, but hope they trust the process if the process means evaluating their own decisions and making improvements in the future.

This concept reminds me of the Kelvin Sheppard for Jerry Hughes trade, which worked out very well for the Bills. And when I originally wrote this, I failed to see that both trades involved a player named Kelvin! I was just thinking of a swap of highly-drafted players who didn't work out for their original teams.

I think he should be "allowed" to scramble/run when there's an open lane in front of him. He needs to finish the plays by sliding or getting out of bounds. He should not be running designed running plays (other than sneaks), nor should he be taking on linebackers and safeties. I've noticed this year many times when there's a ton of green grass in front of Josh and he could easily run for the the first down and he's hanging onto the ball and throwing it. He should absolutely run in those situations. If that's what's meant by "unleashing" then by all means yes.

I think the whining about Beane is a little over the top. He's a good GM, perhaps top-10 in the league. I agree that he's not as good as Rosenman, but Rosenman has a job and is not available to the Bills.

I have no idea what Diggs meant, but I'm guessing he's saying that the Bills laid an egg and have been crap the last 3 weeks, but dwelling on the past will be of no benefit to anyone. Focus on the next game. I'm in. I'll be tuning in Thursday night and looking for a much improved Bills team.

Other than the occasional short yardage sneak or RPO when the defensive end crashes down inside, I'm fine with the Bills taking the designed Allen runs out of the offense. They are unnecessary and subject him to injury. That said, when the pocket breaks down and he can scramble for the first down or more, he absolutely should be running. If there's green grass ahead of him, he should take it. Even where he might have a chance to dump it off, he should run it if there's a big open lane. I've seen many times this season where such a lane has been there and he has not taken it. The thing he needs to do differently than in the past is to slide and or go out of bounds. As exciting as it may be, he should be taking tacklers head-on, bulling them over, or hurdling over them. Mahomes' running is highly effective for the Chiefs' offense, but he's scrambling when the defense gives it to him and he's getting to the sidelines or sliding. He's not taking on linebackers. Allen can and should do the same.

I think he came out after his junior year, so he was not a graduate. That said, he did attend Cal-Berkeley, one of the top universities in the country. He may have gone back to get his degree - I have no idea - but not at that point in time. I'm sure the stories are mixed, but it's clear that Lynch was not a model citizen while with the Bills, nor has he been since he left Buffalo. He's has a number of run-ins with the law since. The guy was a great player and had some all-time moments with Seattle. He's also reshaped his image to become popular in ads and other media (I think he does pieces on TNF for Amazon Prime). I don't think the issues he had with the police in Buffalo were racism-related. Not to say there isn't racism in Buffalo or in police forces, but Bills players are pretty much revered in Buffalo (and in most places). Many black players loved their time in Buffalo and some have stayed in or moved back to the area. I'm inclined to believe that there's some truth to the stories about the Hamburg officer's wife, plus other public incidents with Lynch, such as the much-publicized hit-and-run on Chippewa, that made him a target of the police.

Last year, the injuries on defense really hurt the team - Miller, Poyer, Hyde, and Tre not being 100%. I thought that if they remained healthy, given the improvements at guard and the addition of Leonard Floyd, the Bills could do it this year. They still can, but I am more pessimistic with the losses of Milano, Jones, and White. Plus, age and injury recovery may be catching up to Miller, Poyer, and Hyde. They all look a bit slow out there. Let's hope Miller can regain some form as the season goes on. Poyer and Hyde are probably as good as we're going to get. I love of all of those guys, but am trying to be objective based on what I've seen. The offense has been up and down, but I think that if they stay healthy (which they have so far), that they'll get it together and be fine.

I don't live in Buffalo anymore (although I try to keep up on the local Bills news coming out of Buffalo) and I was super busy in the days before the game trying to get ready for my trip to Europe, so I had not heard this reported or discussed before the game. It's a fair point. I'd still say that getting out there as soon as you can is the best option. Having 5 days to overcome jetlag and acclimate to a new time zone is better than having 2 (and the Bills had perhaps a little less than that). It seemed to work for the Ravens, who had done it the other way around on their previous trip out there and had the opposite result. My own experience traveling internationally says that it takes 3+ days to adjust and feel "normal again" although I admit that the only international athletic competition I ever participated in was hockey tournaments in the Toronto area as a kid. It didn't take much time to recover from the long drive up the QEW.

I arrived in London on the same day as the Bills. I was groggy and off of a normal sleep schedule for 3 or 4 days before finally becoming adjusted to the time zone. That's clearly anecdotal, but Travis Etienne made some comments about feeling off for their first game there, but feeling much better for the 2nd one. Baltimore also went out there Thursday/Friday for their previous London game and got killed, so they changed their routine and went out Monday/Tuesday this time and played much better this time and won in a rout (against Tennessee who went out there Thursday/Friday). Again anecdotal, but I was shocked that the Bills didn't get out there by Tuesday and predicted that a Friday arrival was not going to be in their favor. I fully admit that I have not read the sports science on this topic, but common sense says that the human body/brain needs a few days to adjust to a new time zone.

The OL has upgraded its personnel at guard. Brown is healthier than last year. Is that all, or does anyone think that a second year in Kromer's system is also yielding benefits? Outside of the beach chair incident, the guy has a pretty good track record. Could Dawkins, Morse, and Brown be better than last year because they know Kromer's system better?