Logic

I think the hierarchy of effectiveness is something like: Sam Martin The ghost of Tom Tupa Josh Allen arm-punting Matt Haack Sam Martin on one hamstring. So technically, this is an improvement. I would've called Tupa's ghost, personally. (p.s. the Bills weren't going to insert Matt "one preseason punt and no experience holding in real games" Araiza into a playoff game at a time their kicker is slumping a bit. Wasn't gonna happen. Move on)

The words I've seen there go far beyond "hazing" and "talking trash with buddies". Saying they hope an opposing player dies of AIDS goes beyond the limits of good taste or "fun trash talk". There are good Chiefs forums, I'm sure. And I have no problem with Chiefs fans, in general. Anyone who has ever gone to KC for a game has nothing but nice things to say about Chiefs fans in real life, and I believe them. I'm sure it's a good, passionate, kind, welcoming, lovely fan base. But Chiefs Planet? Absolute toxic garbage people. I've given it several chances over the years, thinking that maybe the first time was an outlier. Each time, the same thing. Horrible, nasty, mean spirited, beyond-the-bounds-of-good-taste stuff, constantly.

I think it's a dumb rule, too. The absolute proof of its dumbness can be observed when a kickoff rolls near the sideline, and the opposing player lays down and stretches his body across the field with one toe touching the sideline and grabs the ball, thereby causing the ball to be considered out of bounds and the kicking team to be penalized and the ball moved to the 40 yard line. Absolutely an asinine rule.

"15 yard penalty, results in an automatic... "

Did anyone check to see if there was fine print on this bet that nullifies it in the event of Josh Allen faking a slide?

Yeah I'm guessing -- and this is totally a guess, with no evidence whatsoever to back it up -- that Fournette was unhappy and requested his release. I think he envisioned playing a lot more this season. Once the playoffs hit and he was still inactive, I'm guessing he said "I'd like my release so that I can have a chance to contribute elsewhere". The only problem is that I'm not sure where it is he thinks he's going to contribute at this point.

Jesus Christ man, take a breath!

To be fair.... ...An organization as financially lucrative as the Buffalo Bills should not need to crowdsource the snow shoveling efforts for their stadium. They ought to be able to afford to hire professional grounds maintenance professionals and put greater capital and effort into ensuring that the customers of their product who pay $150+ for seats don't have to sit on a foot of snow. But that's just like, my opinion, man...

If anybody commits a fake slide, I'm turning it off and writing Roger Goodell a letter.

That was really the crossroads moment for ol' Filthy Beast. He could've packed it in then and there, said "ok, ya got me", and moved on to some other passtime. But he didn't! He doubled down! And here he still is, after a season in which he was once again transparently trolling this forum, once again posing as a Bills fan, and once again making epically bad predictions, trying to insist on his credibility and predict another Bills loss. An absolute sight to behold.

I think that the NFL has decided that they're going to protect quarterbacks at all costs, and it results in all sorts of ticky-tack, namby pamby, horsecrap calls that are offensive to the viewer. I think that star quarterbacks ESPECIALLY benefit from this treatment. I agree with what you say, but as long as you always keep in mind what I just said, you'll have an easier time understanding/accepting the ridiculous calls that get made on a weekly basis.

I'll give you this: your commitment to the bit is unmatched. Most troll accounts who secretly like another team but are posing as a Bills fan would've folded up shop long ago. Certainly once everyone here saw through the ploy. And yet, here you are, sallying forth, predicting Bills' losses week after week and insisting on your own credibility. No matter what, you refuse to break kayfabe. Kudos, Dolphins fan. Kudos.

But tell me the truth, Beast... Does it make you sad that your favorite team has to give up the "Fins up" slogan because Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville group trademarked it?

It's been said in various parts already in this thread, but to put it succinctly. Each team can only call up two players per week. With Dodsen and Davis out, the Bills needed the bodies at those positions more than another running back. As for why Murray over Fournette in a general sense: Murray is, by far, the best pass blocking back on the Bills roster. By far. Cook and Johnson are the ball carriers, Murray is the pass blocking guy on obvious passing downs where they want extra protection for Josh. That's how it'll likely remain throughout the playoffs.

I agree with this assertion. Elam DOES need to earn his time on the field, just as all other players do and should. However, I stand by the notion that the improvement he needs in order to take his game to the next level will only come with live bullets, not in practice. It's like the difference between sitting a rookie quarterback for a full season vs letting him play and get real experience. The looks and intensity and opportunities he sees in practice simply cannot rival what he will see in a real game where everyone's playing for keeps. It's not that I'm saying Elam should skip past the "earning it in practice" phase, of course he shouldn't. I'm just saying that what he really needs (in my opinion), can only be gained by playing in real NFL games. In his rookie season, for instance, I felt like he got better and better the more he played, until -- by the end of the season -- he was starting to show flashes of being a difference maker. Either way, unless the Bills cornerback room gets healthy fast, the Bills may have no choice in the matter. Elam may HAVE to play.

This is where I would repeat the assertion that one game is not a big enough sample size to state what you just did declaratively. Those personnel groupings may well have been matchup specific. I don't particularly care to go back and forth on the matter, though. You've stated your opinion. I disagree with it, or at the very least, feel that it's too early to reach a conclusion on the matter. Onward.

I agree with this 100%. What's weird about Elam is this: He has all the physical talent needed to be a good NFL starting cornerback. Based on what his coaches and teammates say, he also has the burning desire to be great and is a very hard worker. His sole liability thus far would seem to be his slowness in picking up the nuances of the zone scheme that the Bills run. How much he's able to learn and assimilate into this scheme vs how much he'll just forever lack the instinct necessary to excel in it, I can't really say.. But one thing's for sure: If he's to have any hope of succeeding here, he needs to be on the field. Practice reps alone won't do it. As Warrior9 said, the playoffs aren't really the place you want a guy to be learning on the job, but the Bills may not have a choice. Year three will really be make or break for Kaiir Elam. As for yesterday's performance: up and down, but in my opinion, there was more good than bad. After that first series where the Steelers picked on him, he acquitted himself pretty well. The interception, the second near interception, and a handful of good coverage snaps. Yes, he got beat a time or two, but nothing awful. Yes, he got bowled over by a big receiver. But all in all? Encouraging day for Elam, I thought.

I don't disagree with the overall thesis "Gabe may not be right for this particular offense". I also agree that I'd rather see Khalil Shakir on the field than Gabe Davis. But to suggest that the reason that the offense performed well the one game Gabe missed this season was BECAUSE he didn't play...I'm not so sure. Correlation does not necessarily equal causation. Also, Shakir primarily plays in the slot. Gabe's ACTUAL replacement is, more often than not, Trent Sherfield. He didn't have any particularly meaningful contribution to the game yesterday. Did he even have a catch? I do like Deonte Harty and would kind of like to see him get more action in this offense. Anyway...I'm sticking with one game not being a big enough sample size to make a statement as definitive as "the offense is better without Gabe Davis", but we can agree to disagree.

Kind of a small sample size, no?

It took me like a solid two weeks to get over my D injury. Lots of ice and thinking about baseball and my grade school lunch lady.

You must be new here 😜

From my perspective, the Steelers didn't start moving the ball with consistency until Taron Johnson left the game, at which point they picked on Cam Lewis relentlessly. It was attacking the middle of the field after Johnson and Bernard and Spector left that got the Steelers offense rolling, imo. Elam gave up some catches, yes, but nothing back breaking. He was not the liability that his play at the beginning of this year would've indicated that he might be.

The three you mentioned are the biggest candidates, but...the Elam pick wins it for me. Not only did it keep 7 off the board for the Steelers, I think it was also a huge confidence builder for Elam. A turning point in his day. He was getting absolutely picked on on that drive, and rather than "throw it to whoever Elam's covering" being the edict of the day for the remainder of the game, Kaiir said "I can do this", and acquitted himself reasonably well the rest of the game. Massive play at a huge moment in the game.

I thought I maybe imagined this post. Like a fever dream. I went and had a beer and ate some rice and came back and it was still here! It's real! A human being who is a fan of neither of the teams that played today actually took the time to come here and post it! Amazing.