Logic

Right. Then what happened? I seem to recall two red zone interceptions and a very important fumbled snap somewhere in there. Were those somehow magically not Allen's fault? Did those turnovers somehow magically not impact the final outcome? Also, how exactly does one pull a rabbit by the gun? The "Allen is above reproach and can't be criticized" thing is gross. C'mon now.

Amazing that you could say this with a straight face. Two interceptions in three straight games. Leads the league in interceptions. Turned the ball over three times yesterday, including a botched QB-center exchange in his own end zone and a boneheaded pick in the red zone in overtime. Has thrown just one touchdown in the past two games. Bills haven't scored a second half touchdown since Kansas City. Please explain how Josh suddenly becoming a turnover machine ISN'T the problem. My goodness.

I read the OP but not the 14 pages of discussion, so I'm sure I'm probably repeating the sentiments of others here, but... If anyone has "turned on" Allen, then yes, I agree, that's silly and reactionary and weak. That said, I also feel there is a segment of Bills fans who have placed #17 on a pedestal and absolutely refuse to say a bad word about his play even when criticism is warranted. Josh Allen is a generational talent, yes. Josh Allen is our franchise quarterback, yes. Josh Allen displays incredible heart, will, grit, toughness, and courage every week, and particularly playing through things like a UCL injury when he could easily sit and no one would blame him. With all of that said, neither Josh, nor any other Bills player, should be beyond criticism when criticism is warranted. Josh Allen has thrown two interceptions in three straight games. The All-22 is littered with instances of there being open options underneath -- including, oftentimes, completely uncovered checkdown options -- and Josh refusing to take those layups and instead reverting back to his old Hero Ball days. Josh Allen, in my opinion, has directly, majorly contributed to -- if not outright CAUSED -- losses the last two weeks against opponents the Bills should have beaten. I believe Josh is in a slump, and I believe he will get out of it. I have not turned on him. He is the franchise. But it would be disingenuous at best and cultish at worst to pretend like he's not currently making decisions that cost his team football games. If he fixes his decision making, the Bills can win every remaining game on their schedule. If he doesn't, they're gonna enter the playoffs as a 6 or 7 seed and make life really hard on themselves. Josh is not above criticism.

I don't disagree that there are improvements that can be made to the way the Bills do things on offense. From spending higher capital on offensive players to incorporating our talented speedy running backs to diversifying our passing attack. Will all of that said, seeing so many people primarily blaming the front office and coaching staff for the recent slump, when Josh Allen has thrown two picks in three straight games -- two of which the Bills lost directly because of those turnovers -- is frustrating and confounding. 1. The Bills front office and coaching staff can do a better job of putting Josh Allen in a position to succeed and maximizing his talents. 2. Josh Allen has enough around him right now, both personnel and coaching wise, for the Bills to be 8-1. The fact that they are not is LARGELY due to his own poor decision making the past two weeks. Both things can be true. Item 1 is not likely to be fixable mid-season. Item 2 IS fixable, and that's up to Josh.

It seems simpler than all of this to me. Internal dysfunction, firing coaches, "are the weapons good enough", etc, etc... I don't think it's that complicated. Josh Allen has forgotten over the past few weeks how to take what the defense gives him. Go turn on the All-22 from the second half of the Packers game, from the Jets game, from the Vikings game. Common denominator on offense? There are open options underneath. Very often the checkdown in the flats. In fact, there were times against the Jets and again against the Vikings that defenders left the checkdown options completely uncovered. Didn't even bother. Why? Josh isn't looking there. He's forcing the issue. Hero Ball. For as much as we can argue 'til we're blue in the face about schemes, personnel, dysfunction, blah blah blah...it's just this simple: If Josh didn't throw those bad picks against the Jets last week and those bad picks against the Vikings yesterday, the Bills likely would have won both games. They'd be 8-1 and NO ONE would be talking about any dysfunction. Everyone would be booking their hotel rooms for the Super Bowl. All facets of the team contributed to the losses the past two weeks. Coaching, offense, defense, injuries, the schemes, the players. Yet, through all of that, if QB1 just starts taking care of the ball again and stops with the sugar high, hero ball stuff, the Bills will get back to winning football games. It really seems that simple to me.

Stupid Fox. They're spending all this time yammering on about "America's game of the week", which stinks. The 3-6 Packers? Pleeeeasse. Meanwhile, the ACTUAL America's Game of the Week is about to kick off to most of the viewing nation in 15 minutes and not a peep. Booooooooo

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm extra amped for today's game. Having a subpar second half against the Packers, then losing to the Jets, then the very real possibility of QB1 missing the game .... It all really made me step back and appreciate -- and for a moment, focus on not taking for granted -- this Bills team and this quarterback. This game is about as high drama and storyline-rich is a regular season game gets. 7-1 at 6-2. Good on good. Dalvin Cook vs James Cook. Jefferson vs Diggs. The Josh Allen minute-to-minute "will he play?" drama...great stuff. Cannot wait for kickoff. Go Bills! LFG!!!

"Thinking they're smart" or believing the national reports of a small UCL tear and making an educated guess as to how many games he'd miss based on similar injuries to Josh and other players in the past?

Agreed. I don't see any reason why that would be the case. It would be one thing if Cook had been playing poorly recently. On the contrary, the past two games were two of his best as a Bill, and the staff has started to trust him more. Also, in terms of really pissing off and alienating a young player, benching him against his brother's team would really be the way to do it. If anything, I want to see Cook with a big role in the gameplan tomorrow. It's GOTTA be either a special teams thing, a sickness/health thing we don't know about, or Duke's gonna be a game day inactive.

I originally predicted three weeks and I’m sticking with that. I think they’ll continue the “day to day” declaration the whole time, but they know that his arm needs rest in order to heal properly. The short week before the Lions game clinches the three week timeline, IMO. They traded for Keenum. They believe in him. They’ll hope to go at least 2-1 while Allen heals, and QB1 will retake the field for the three game AFCE stretch. Flame away, but that’s what I envision happening.

What a stupid thing to say. The guy has given his heart and soul to Buffalo, has been a primary culprit for the franchise's turnaround, and is emblematic of everything that's right with this team. He understandably wanted a contract extension as he has outplayed the value of his contract and wants to be paid what he's worth and to get one last big contract which, most Bills fans would agree, he has absolutely earned. Despite not getting this contract, he has still kept his mouth shut, said and done all the right things, never missed a day of camp or practice, and has suited up through multiple injuries and played his heart out. The only thing disappointing is fans like you saying crap like that.

If what Will Caroll says is true -- and multiple people seem to think Caroll is a trustworthy source -- then Allen missing not only this week but possibly more games after that suddenly seems much more plausible.

Well that's pretty huge. Not that you ever root for injuries, but since we'll be missing key defenders, it's nice to see that they will, too. Levels the playing field a bit.

Likewise. None of us know a thing. I'm following obvious context clues, like several missed (or curtailed) practices in a row for Josh. Case Keenum getting first team reps all week. Based on everything I have seen, heard, and read, and based on the practice reports this week, I am GUESSING -- and I do feel that it's an educated guess based on the previously mentioned context clues -- that Josh sits. I don't know, Baumer doesn't know, and neither do you. No need to throw stones. No more or less comical than those who are dead certain that he's playing based on little more than blind hope and guess work.

I agree somewhat, but I believe there would be different points of coaching emphasis against Keenum rather than Allen. For instance, containing the edges and perhaps assigning a spy are not going to be points of emphasis against Keenum the way they would be against Allen. I would also think that squatting more on short and intermediate routes and worrying a little bit less about the deep routes would be a consideration. In short, I think the Vikings defense potentially employs very different defensive tactics depending upon whether it's Keenum or Allen under center for the Bills.

We'll know later today when the final injury report of the week is issued, but I'd bet anything that it says "DNP". Based on this coaching staff's history and common sense, three straight DNPs almost certainly equates to a missed game.

Really? I come to the opposite conclusion. Hasn't practiced all week, and appears to maybe not be practicing today. I don't think they put him out there after not taking any practice snaps all week.

Big if true.

Why do your posts always make me feel sad inside?

I still say they're doing all of this "he could play!" stuff for a competitive advantage and the dude isn't playing this week, but that's just me.

Friends, fellow fans, countrymen... Let Friday, November 11th, 2022 forever be remembered as the day that Sean McDermott rolled out the rarest of things: a FOURTH injury category. We've always had "day to day", "week to week", and "it's gonna be a while", but now, improbably.... The miraculous, fantastic, almost-too-ridiculous-to-be-real-but-somehow-it-is "hour to hour" designation!

Man.... With our defense struggling against the run lately, if we are without Rousseau, Edmunds, and Poyer on Sunday, against a team with Dalvin Cook at tailback... Things could get ugly fast. I agree with all but White. What is it about today's injury report that indicates to you anything whatsoever about Tre White?

Speaking of Jackson Browne, his song "These Days" is one of my all time favorites. So beautiful. Have listened to it a million times.

I officially predict that Josh misses three games. I know, I know, I'm such a jerk. This team is very cautious with injuries, and we're talking about the throwing arm of the franchise QB here. I think the Bills feel like they can potentially win the next three games WITHOUT Allen. They brought in a guy like Case Keenum for a reason. If the Bills can go 2-1 without Allen over the next three games -- and I really feel like the Browns and Lions games, in particular, are winnable with Keenum under center -- they'll be in good shape.

Hasn't Tre White been called "day to day" by McDermott and missed more than one game since that declaration was first made?