mjd1001

Ok, on Big Ben....he looks just about done. Not because his skills are totally shot (he's not as good as he once was but still has talent). But rather, hes not done because he isn't willing to take a hit like he used to. At his best, Ben was as good as he was because he would just stand in there and stand in there and take any hit to make a play. Hes almost the opposite now. Too many times he throws the ball away (missing a big play) or throws it up for grabs for anyone simply because he seems a lot more afraid of a hit than he hever has.

Not on the field related, but I started thinking of this a few weeks ago, but especially yesterday.. Do you think the Bills /Allen are at the point where they are going to start getting national attention in form of big national endorsement deals? Its early and this season is not even over (no playoff wins yet) but what are the odds we might see any players doing tv ads for insurance companies? automakers? in strong consideration for the cover of madden? starting next season...

I agree 100%. In the cap world, you simply can't pay (long term) players who you would consider #1's at their position all over the board. You want a top tier TE? The top 4-5 guys are already making about $10 per year or more, and that is going to go up next year (as it always does). You have to pay Allen...and if you want to have Brown and Beasley (or guys LIKE them) along with Diggs, something has to give. Pay a 'top TE' and you are likely going to have to not pay one (or two) of those WR's and/or have to really, really get buy with a budget Defensive unit. If you end up not signing (re-signing) Brown or Beasley (or one of them gets cut) and you do not replace them with a comparable WR at the same pay rate, then sure, replace them with a top paid TE. But if you want to keep the Offense the same (3 quality veteran WRs) then you'll have to go on the budget side at TE.

Honestly, I like seeing the statistics in the article, the charts. I do not want to discuss it on this board and hope the discussion doesn't turn political, but I enjoyed the info in the article.

If the Bills win at least one playoff game....and don't have a dumpster fire of anoffseason..I think so many people will want to go to games that even the late season games will come close to being a sellout once tix go on sale.

A decade or so...I would have made it my priority to do whatever I could to go. What is in my bank account? I'd start with that number as for what I would pay. Now, however, I'm perfectly happy at home. Give me 2 tickets to the superbowl with the Bills in it..and I'd look for someone who would enjoy the trip more than I would. I had season tickets for years, but as far as gameday goes now, I see the game better and have a better Sunday watching it at home (or a friends house) on high def TV than I ever did in the stadium. More importantly, if the Bills did win, I would MUCH rather be here in the community among friends/neighbors...being able to experience it in WNY than among the other fans who made the trip to another city.

Agreed. There is no team in the playoffs that the Bills can't beat (including the Chiefs, although it would be a tough win) but there also will be no team that the bills would be guaranteed to beat. Remember, this is a team that lost to the cardinals and Titans (and chiefs) and was one possession away from potentially losing 4 other games. They didn't lose them, that is the most important thing, but in the playoffs every game is hopefully a coin toss that is slightly favored toward your side.

Slightly off topic, but I am always fascinated when I look back to the late 1970s and early 1980s to see how those 2-14 teams were 'built' and how they allowed for the late 80s/early 90s teams to be built. How did the Bills get so bad in the early 1980's? -Chuck Knox was done as coach of the Bills and left before the 2-14 seasons..leaving the Bills to go bottom-of-the-barrel for their next coaches...Kay Stephonson and Hank Bullough. -Joe Ferguson (maybe good? but never great) was at the end of his career, and the QB drafted in the 2nd round to be the heir apparent was none other than Matt Kofler. (unless you want to count Gene Bradley who was drafted early a few years prior but went right to the USFL) -There were some awful, brutal draft picks in the late 70's and early 80's that left the team without much talent in the early 80s: --in 76, Mario Clark was your first pick. Decent CB from what I remember, but nothing more than an average starter for a few years. --in 77, you took Phil Dokes with your first pick and didn't have a 2nd. --in 78, RB Terry Miller was the 5th overall pick to the Bills, other top picks for them that year? Dee Hardison, Scott Hutchinson, Denis Johnson and Danny Fulton all in the top 3 rounds. --79 was a decent draft overall, but with the top pick in the entire draft the bills took...Tom Cousineau --in 1980 you got Jim Ritcher for the OL in the first round..but the next 2 years top picks...Booker Moore and Perry Tuttle. Its really surprising the Bills only had 2 seasons of 2-14. 4-12 in 1986 wasn't great, but things were looking up for sure by then.

I so much agree. Not only would I rather see the bills play geographically close (and cities who are similar) teams like Pittsburgh, Cleveland...and Detroit or Indy or Cincy......but I think it would also be more fun to see teams like the Pats and Jets in a division with other Northeast teams (re-do conferences and see the Jets, Giants, Pats and Philly in the same division? I'd love to see that too)

What can we expect from the Pats in the near (1-3 year) future? It might be close to what the Drought Era Bills were: -I think, overall, they are a SLIGHTLY above average team. If I had to 'power rank' them in the NFL now, they would be someplace between 12-16. Keep in mind they actually DID lose a ton from Covid opt outs on the defensive side of the ball, probably more than anyone else...and they had some key injuries this year too. Without that would they be a top team? No, but they will be getting 'more' back next year than most other teams. -On the other hand, the D unit is aging. Even with those players back, they have a good percentage of their key D players on the wrong side of 28 years of age. (most studies say a typical Defensive player production, especially in the back 7, drop off between age 28-30) So, the biggest thing that may make you think they are like the drought era Bills is.....their biggest question has to do with QB. There doesn't appear to be a long term star QB available for the taking for them...and they are going to likely be drafting in an area where they will miss out on the top prospects. So, they are likely to be that team that is 'in the hunt' toward the end of the year...until they get their next great QB...who knows when that will be.

I don't think people are complaining now...becasue they are changing their mind and just want something to complain about. I like the 1pm starts...I did years ago when the Bills were bad, I still do now when they are getting national attention. The people 'lamenting' the loss of 1pm starts, that is nothing new. Most of those people are ones who always preferend the 1pm starts.

I agree that I prefer the 1pm starts all the time. Give me one, HOME primetime game per year and thats fine. When I was a teenager I would have loved night games all the time, but honestly by the time I got to be in my mid-20's, I was fine with 1pm. Its not that I don't want the Bills to get national attention..but honestly if they make the playoffs they WILL get that national attention. I have just gotten so much busier with my life that the 1pm Sunday games slot in so much better...at least for me personally.

Agreed. He has played a few good games, but hes not someone I want to pencil in as a starter. Can he be a starter? In a pinch yes, but if he was a starter that is a place I'd want an upgrade. I think he is good for what he has been. He can be a spot starter and a good backup. As a starter he is capable of having a very good game and also a bad one. Even the last couple of games were he as played good though, the 'eye test' has shown me more than a few times where he was behind the play, chasing someone from behind (and not catching them) or getting run by in coverage.

KC, New Orleans, and Pitt would seem to be the obvious top 3. Whoever is at 4? Really its a matter of personal choice or the flavor-of-the-week. After the top 3, there probably are 6-7 teams that could be ranked anywhere from 4-10 and it wouldn't be unfair. Buffalo, Tampa, Seattle, Green Bay, Tenn, maybe even still Balt and the Rams...all are in that 2nd tier. Once you get past them, I think you go Indy, Cleveland, Miami, and Arizona...the Raiders barely hanging on to this group, then everyone else.

With this game being moved, the remaining 2 Thanksgiving games involve 4 teams with all losing records. I don't know the answer to this..so just asking if anyone does know...when was the last time we had a Thanksgiving where every single team playing had a losing record going into the game?

Agreed. Different people like different things. Years ago (decades?), I loved ESPN just because of sportcenter, when it was just news and highlights and very little opinion. Personally, I like information, I like facts, I like highlights. However it seems there are MORE people who like the personalities and opinions and 'fun' of the arguments. With more people liking that, ESPN decided to go that way because that got them ratings. It not for me, but obviously it is for some people.

Hate to see any injury like that to anyone, but especially someone who is getting so fun to watch. Hopefully he'll be back to 100% start of next year. For a Bengals fan, anything is possible, but they are likely to be drafting in the top 5 for sure....and might have the chance at anyone...the single best non-QB in the draft. Could be a big addition for next year and something to look forward to if Burrow is back.

Ok, here is why many (most) of us think things were better in the past.....everything was 'new' then. As we get older, less and less of what we see in sports is new to us. When we were younger, the first big win was special because we never saw it before. That 65yd touchdown run? We got so excited about it because we never saw it before...or rarely did. However at later points in our life...after we have watched hundreds of games (for some of us), we can still enjoy the game, but very little is new. Sure, we want to see that big win, but its not as big because we already experienced that emotion. Oh, that 65 yard run yesterday? It was great, but it wasn't the best one we ever saw.

That is understandable, I agree with it, and it might very well be true. Still, it seems like this is something to keep an eye on for the next couple of games. It may be nothing....

This is an awful loss, but this is the WORST possible way to lose a game going into a 2 week off bye. Seriously, going into a buy I'd rather lose 35-17 than to lose like THIS going into the bye.

I strongly prefer 1pm games. Give me 15 1:00pm starts, and just 1 home night game...id be happy about that schedule.

I'll be honest with you, I'm kinda impressed by the level of conversation there. Are there some homers there? Of course, but after spending a lot of time reading forums over the years dedicated to the Dolphins, Pats, Jets, and Steelers.......the Arizona page seems to have some pretty level-headed, well thought out posts.

Herbert, Kyler Murray, and maybe Burrow....all of them if there was something else coming the Bills way.

3rd round picks are a bit high. This isn't the NHL or NBA where anything other than a top 5 first rounder is a crapshoot. In the NFL, 3rd and 4th round picks commonly become good, sometimes very good players and it is expected the contribute. I'd say make it a 4th at the highest....a 4th round pick still is valuable in the NFL, those players often become starters....yet is isn't too much where a lot of team might try to take advantage of the rule.

Stop paying "top dollar" for personalities or stars who just media members. The media shouldn't be/isn't the star. There is a lot of good, young talent out there that wont' require super high paying contracts. Sure, some people tune in to see the 'names', but it is more about the sport itself...next the show/format, and last is the personalities who are their employees.