Logic

I know I'm late to this thread, but... That was one of the most horse doo-doo calls I have EVER seen in a football game. Just outrageously, ridiculously, OBVIOUSLY the wrong call. The Bills beat the Colts AND the refs today.

Today was huge for the growth of this young team. They showed that even when things aren't going perfectly, even when the opponent is outgaining them and controlling the clock, even when they're losing the field position battle, even when the refs try to steal it from them....they can overcome adversity and get a win. It's #4 on the list of McDermott-isms: "Find a way". Today, they found a way. They were mentally tough. This was a significant marker of growth. Hopefully, this by-the-skin-of-their-teeth win will have them digging in, re-focusing, and realizing that they need to play even better next week. I bet they will.

Being on the west coast is great for highly anticipated games like today. Only need to wait til 10am for kickoff!

I think he was called up as a safety measure in case either Beasley or Diggs can't go. If both of them play, Duke will be inactive. "Elevated from practice squad" does not necessarily mean "active on gameday".

I just read in an Athletic article that Josh Allen led the league in EPA against Cover 2 defensive looks -- which just so happen to be the Colts defense's most used look throughout the season. I also read that their pass defense overall has been struggling since week 10 or so, particularly against intermediate and deep passes. Between those factors and starting corner Rock Ya-Sin missing the game, I just don't see how their defense is going to adequately slow down the Bills offense. I just watched Peter King on NBC Sports talking about how Frank Reich remembers the Super Bowl gameplan the Giants used to beat the Bills: Run the ball, run the clock, limit possessions. If the Colts can do that successfully, they've got a shot. But no matter how many different ways I look at the matchup, I can't convince myself that the Bills are going to lose.

I had season tickets for a number of (bad) years. Witnessed the 6-3 Browns game, the Kevin Everett injury game, the Browns Monday night loss, the 56-10 Patriots game, the Stevie Johnson drop game....lots of long, cold drives home after bad showings by bad football teams. Aw man, I just realized looking at that list that I had season tickets during the worst part of the drought. Was at some of the most memorably bad Bills losses in history. Ah well, it makes the current success all the sweeter. Moved to Oregon and thus no longer have seasons, though I still try to see 1-3 games a year. Was most recently at the Texans playoff loss last year (ugh). Cannot WAIT to get back to Orchard Park for a game next year!

You pay for everything and I’ll bring the chips.

Good intel, thanks. Any time an opponent is missing a contributing cornerback -- particularly one talented enough to have been taken at 34th overall -- I consider it a boon to the already potent passing game of our Bills.

Absolutely. If I started a band, it would be hard to think of a cooler name for it than Rock Ya-Sin

The Colts will be without their CB2 on Saturday:

Diggs seems quite healthy in this video...

This is my favorite video from this year, hands down P.S. Diggs seems fine.

Yeah, you'd think the first home playoff game in 25 years would be a big enough occasion to warrant the magical white facemasks. Maybe they're saving them for the AFC Championship game.

Given that the Colts also have white pants and white helmets, I was sort of hoping for the Bills to wear their all-blues this week. Oh well.

NBC called for Warnock. Ossoff has officially surpassed Perdue in the vote count and the NYT election needle has him as "very likely" to win. It's pretty simple: McConnell gambled that he could ride Trump's fired up "the vote was stolen!" MAGA base to victories in Georgia, and he was wrong. It will cost him his party's senate majority and his speakership. Furthermore, it's a satisfying stroke of poetic justice to see African American voters turn out in huge numbers -- in a former confederate state, no less -- to put the final nail in the coffin of the Trump/McConnell era. It was largely the African American vote in Detroit, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, etc that helped assure the ouster of Trump, and now McConnell has faced the same fate. I look forward to not having the entire US government held hostage by an old, stubborn turtle from Kentucky any longer. I guess, with regard to his stranglehold on senatorial power and his speakership, there's only one thing left to say to Mr McConnell:

Personally, I view this season as a success regardless. Why? Because the Bills solved, once and for all, the most difficult-to-solve problem in pro football: They confirmed without equivocation that they have a franchise QB. To me, that was the most important thing this season. With the 5th year option on Josh coming up, the Bills needed a clear answer one way or the other as to whether he was "the guy". His play stated emphatically that he is. Even if the Bills were to go out and get upset in the playoffs -- even if they don't win a single playoff game, in fact -- establishing Allen as a franchise QB, establishing the offense as top shelf, sweeping the division for the first time ever, and tying the team record for most wins....to me, that's a successful season. All that said, it would obviously be a huge disappointment if they didn't win a playoff game or three. But I wouldn't be all that upset, because this year checked the last "long term contenders" box that needed to be checked: QB. We now know that we have the ownership, the front office, the head coach, the QB, and more often than not, the defense, to contend for titles regularly for the next decade+. So would it hurt? Sure. But I know the Bills will be back and better than ever next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. This Bills team is here to stay.

If either Dawson Knox can step up (he's made some big plays the past few weeks) or they can nab a playmaking tight end in the draft....yikes. I was also thinking I'd like to see a true weapon at the H-Back position. Gilliam is filled in capably, but has looked like Just A Guy. If they could actually get a playmaker at the position -- a Kyle Juszczyk type -- as an outlet and moving chess piece for Allen, that would be gravy. Heck, if they DO add a more traditional in-line tight end this offseason, Knox could slide into that "move tight end" role.

Agreed. A QB with JUST his drive, will, and intelligence would likely be successful in this league. A QB with all of that PLUS his elite physical gifts? The ceiling is sky high. Or, as Dion Dawkins says, there IS no ceiling! Allen is a FrankenQB

Say what you want about Jordan Palmer being biased or giving good PR because he works with Josh but... I 100% agree with him on one point: I believe that Josh Allen is the most physically gifted quarterback in NFL history. I don't take that statement lightly, and I'm not trying to be hyperbolic, and I don't feel it's an exaggeration. His combination of arm strength, size, speed mobility, and raw athleticism have no equal that I can think of in NFL history. The guys I CAN think of are Hall of Famers. Steve Young? John Elway? I'm not saying that he'll be as good as those guys or that he'll be the BEST quarterback in history -- though he might. But physically? I really do think he is the most physically gifted ever at the position. And he's 24 and he's a Buffalo Bill. Truly awesome.

I don't know, man... I see a lot of healthy respect for the Bills in that thread, including many "Bills will blow us out" posts. To look at that thread overall and perceive optimism or confidence on their part is to be fishing for motivation and disrespect in a less-than-well-stocked pond, in my opinion.

I love these letters from players. They're amazing. As happy as I am about the Bills doing so well, I've been a little down about the fact that it's happening during THIS year, with no fans in the stands or out in the city celebrating, with no way for me to attend a game during what has been the best season of my adult life. There's been a small part of me that's like "well, winning the Super Bowl would be great this year...but couldn't we do it NEXT YEAR instead?". It just seems cruel for the best fan base in sports, after all these years of misery, to potentially miss out -- at least as far as live attendance, tailgating, and in-person celebration goes -- on the first championship season in team history. But I have to say, two things have turned me around. First is the fact that there will be fans in the stands for the playoffs. I know it's not full capacity and I know 6,700 isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, but it MATTERS. Thousands of loyal Bills Mafia family members ARE going to get to see this team play live and in person, in a home playoff game. It's gonna mean a lot to the team to have them there, too -- that, I know for sure. Second is this article. The way Dion puts it -- that the Bills have injected joy into a terrible year -- is right on the money. The degree to which a trivial thing like sports really CAN lift up a community during times of hardship can't be overstated. Just look at the Saints after hurricane Katrina. Reading Dion's letter makes it clear that, though we can't be together on game days, the bond between team and fans has never been stronger. This year has STRENGTHENED it, if anything, and who know that THAT could be possible? All that's left to say is: Go Bills! Go bring home that Lombardi.

Stills objectively made the correct decision, and I have faith that he will now play good football for the Buffalo Bills.

I'm not sure how many on here use Twitter or are familiar with Mark Schofield's weekly videos, but I wanted to share these. He does them for many QBs, but Allen seems to keep showing up lately. They are shown here chronologically from the Broncos through the Dolphins games, so scroll down if you only care about yesterday's game. I like the second clip the best. The whole "This freakin' guy" bit. Just awesome. 😆

Completely fair. The only counter argument I could offer is that at least the Packers have a 1st round QB waiting in the wings in Jordan Love, whereas the bills have a journeyman who was out of the NFL until the Bills called him. But overall, you're right: elite QBs -- the guys that win the MVP award every year -- are extremely valuable to their team in all cases.

I agree with you. I was speaking only to what WILL happen, not what SHOULD happen. The more existential/philosophical question of "what does 'most valuable' actually MEAN?" is a valid one. Unfortunately, it's not a question that the voters seem particularly interested in addressing. What MVP has really become is "best quarterback of the year". In my mind, that's not what it SHOULD be, but that's what it is. I agree that Allen is more valuable to the Bills than Rodgers is to the Packers. But then, one could argue that Derrick Henry is more valuable to the Titans, Aaron Donald to the Rams, and so on. Recognizing the MVP award for what it actually is these days, I expect and accept Rodgers winning the award.