LA Grant

McDermott is not in my top 5 people who I blame for the Gronk late hit but I do agree that would've been nice to see.

You are correct. McDermott was also pretty mad about it, because the Pats got the next play off before it could be reviewed or challenged.

Yeah. I said a few posts back that it's more on the league and the rule book than these specific refs. NFL needs to completely rethink & overhaul penalties. "Being rude to a ref" should not be the punitive equivalent to "aggravated assault." For what Gronk did in this case, bringing his full weight onto the head of a player who is down and defenseless after the play is dead, that should be enough to end the offender's season. Immediate ejection, suspended for remainder of the year. The punishment needs to be that drastic because then players will not do it. Instead Gronk will get a fine and MAYBE a one-game suspension. It won't even effect his mood.

Barf. It's hard to respect a team that has played as consistently cheap & dirty as the Pats have over the years. Today with Gronk's cheap shot is just another example.

Good for you.

Screw it, go full Gregg Williams and put a bounty on Gronk's head. Sign some idiotic table-jumping Bills Mafia goofball for the next NE game, give him some brass knuckles under his gloves, and see what he can do before security pulls him out.

Yeah this is complete garbage. Tre was DOWN and you hit him ON THE HEAD while he was ON THE GROUND, completely defenseless. I have no faith in the league to do the right thing, but in a more just world, that should be a season-ending offense. You should be done for the remainder of the year when you do something that vile, disgusting, and utterly inexcusable... regardless of your stupid "emotions" or if he was pushing you.

I thought Joe Webb looked decent, too, and I liked how they were using him and rotating him in. That throw just off the fingertips of... I forget who the receiver was actually, Cadet?... was pretty good. Certainly no worse, in terms of accuracy, than what we've seen from Peterman. Assuming Tyrod is out next week, and potentially the remainder of the season, I wouldn't mind rotating Webb and Peterman depending on situation & performance.

No doubt but it's more than that, the league in general needs to completely rethink and overhaul penalties and officiating. "Being rude to a ref" should not be the punitive equivalent of "aggravated assault." The game wasn't particularly fun to watch before that hit, but I had to turn it off after that. I'm genuinely disgusted and embarrassed to be watching a game where something like that can happen.

Disgusting play by Gronk -- vile, cruel, inexcusable. Disgusting call by officials -- how is hitting someone when they're down, after the play is dead, on the head no less -- how is that equal to Jerry Hughes mouthing off at officials? Gronkowski should have been ejected without hesitation.

You have a seat belt on your recliner? Hahah, that would be a sight... I agree about taking the damn leash off, anyway, though I don't think that's the offense's only problem... But I've said countless times: I would love to just see what Tyrod looks like with an aggressive play-call, mostly out of shotgun, with some legit targets -- I'd settle even for "consistent" targets at this point. As pointed out earlier in the thread (and numerous times elsewhere since we all keep having the same conversation), Tyrod's stats when he had a healthy Watkins & Woods (and Goodwin? did that ever happen, with all 3?) are great. What could our offense look like if we were able to have that or similar personnel on a regular basis? I'd like to see.

lol that was my thought too seeing the thread topic But. On that subject... If there's any team in any situation that might as well have a "screw it, let's go for it" attitude, it's this Bills team in this specific situation. I would love to see an aggressive-as-hell playcall. I'd love to see a game called like you're already down by 20 in the 4th quarter -- the entire game. Not saying we should onside kick and go for 2 at EVERY opportunity but...if the defense isn't getting turnovers or stops right away, if you fall behind even by 10... "screw it. go for it." 4th and short from our own 40? Go for it. Squib kick with every player that isn't first to the ballcarrier needs to be aggressively looking for the strip. Not a Rex style aggressiveness where players are so keyed up they're making insanely stupid plays and getting tons of flags. But fast-paced offense, no huddle, work out of the shotgun with Zay, Matthews, Holmes and Clay (assuming KB can't go) and McCoy. Absolutely no checkdowns at or behind the line of scrimmage unless it's a legit screen attempt. Less designated QB runs but more roll outs, almost every play should be about guessing whether Tyrod will split left or right and run or throw downfield, open the middle for Shady to run from shotgun like he's done his whole career. In other words - emphasize Tyrod as a playmaker. More roll-outs keeps his reads limited, splitting the field and two man reads, with the option to run or just throw it away. Try to disguise the plays where Tyrod is passing from the pocket after spreading it out, play-action from the I-formation, hell throw a flea flicker in there. Everybody has chalked this game up to an L and everybody is right, it's almost inevitable that it will be a loss. So go down swinging! It'll never happen.

I'm really hoping both of your bolded statements come to pass. I'm less optimistic but we'll see. Great post.

1. They're fun. 2. Who cares. 3. Teammates coordinating a choreographed routine is simply a good team building exercise. That they're more incentivized because it's fun is... a good thing. You want team chemistry. 4. It helps incentivize scoring. Maybe not much but if it adds even just a little extra determination to getting to the end zone, why not? 5. They make the games more fun to watch. A lot of games are really boring.

You'd really rather have Eli than Tyrod? Delete your account.

Short sighted and revisionist. Tom Brady was not born the GOAT. He couldn't even win the starting job in college, for crying out loud. He became great with a coach & system that nurtured and developed him. Athletes are humans who are capable of learning and improving. Unless your parenting method is also "oh great, my baby can't do long division? Time to draft a NEW BABY!"

The offensive playcalling and philosophy for the Rams is refreshing. Would love to see a similar mindset here, for sure.

Not too surprising, really. That will happen when your division rival has the same QB for 20 years, while we've been riding the carousel.

Big shout out to the media for the win today. They were responsible for all of the losses and now they won this game 100%. Heard Miller was doing "Tre Day! Tre Day!" like the Jeanerret "May Day" call. Wonder how long he'd been planning to do that one. Schopp&Bulldog were in rare form, taking apart callers' arguments left and right, like it had been a loss. Why doesn't someone ask Tyrod or McDermott or Dennison why Tyrod can't audible? Or why didn't Greg Roman or Anthony Lynn?

I wouldn't, but I do wish they had overlapped on the roster. There have been times where I've been frustrated and quit on Tyrod, but the alternative has never been better. I didn't think anyone could QB a Bills game worse than Eli's 3 pick meltdown in London (i was there) until Nate Peterman broke several records with 5 picks against the Chargers (also there; i've seen a lot of Bills and Sabres games and very few have been wins -- which makes sense because statistically you're more likely to see them lose; wins are at a high premium). I think that Tyrod has shown a lot of development & improvement in his 3 years with the Bills despite terrible situations on behalf of the club with coaches and personnel. If Kyle Orton was the back-up, I wouldn't have been as upset benching Tyrod for the Chargers game. Honestly, even if he went out and threw 5 picks (unlikely), it would have still been more defensible because Orton was pretty damn good in the first half of his 2014 season. Marrone and Hackett made him look like Blake Bortles by week 8, but you didn't have a better alternative because EJ was terrible. Tyrod & Orton, man. That woulda been a duo. Orton was a character, the chewing tobacco on the sideline, his cigars and 70s suits, the way he left. Compared to Tyrod who's like a shy reserved character. Here ya go: keep Tyrod on his option, if he has a great year then you can franchise him. Bring back Fitz as a viable number two; if Tyrod is the reason there are so few chances taken in late game situations, then sub in a gunslinger dude who can be your "closer." Fitz will probably throw a pick because, that's what you get from gunslingers -- Nate Peterman was described that way by one of the players before the LAC game, maybe Micah Hyde? Then I would draft another rookie, and the third spot is the rookie vs Peterman. Or if Fitz or Tyrod fall off a cliff in camp, then you trade or cut them. Draft a RB high. Keep most of your picks or trade down. Draft OL, QB, DL, LB, WR... not necessarily in that order but those are the holes.

I don't know why I'm even bothering here but... how are you not seeing this? You were just proven wrong. Again, it's so clear you're not arguing from reality, but pure stupid emotion. Look at it the other way, too. Besides Tom Brady, who are the best QBs in the league? Drew Brees. Aaron Rodgers. Philip Rivers. Right? How many SBs does Brees have? Rodgers? Rivers? You can win a SB with a competent QB and a talented roster. Tyrod Taylor is a competent QB. We do not have a talented roster. The end.

People keep saying this, and it's based on... what, exactly? How exactly could we be more? What is giving people this impression? The huge amount of talent on the roster? Because I think the Chargers game showed you that the grass is not always greener.

The reason I dislike it is more about the philosophy. Obviously with any coaching decision it's one of those things where if it worked, then it's a great call, but it didn't, so... Calling it on 1st and 10, or 2nd and 5 --- even if it blows up, I'm not yelling "wtf" at the television. But on 3rd and 2 in that situation, it seemed ridiculous. Up the middle from I-formation wasn't an option? Or running from the shotgun isn't a way to get the RB outside the tackle? It seemed too cute to me, like suddenly Kevin Gilbride was calling plays.

Are the Bills .500? Is Tyrod's starting W/L record .500? Who's .500? You're posting from an alternate dimension, my dude.

100% agree.