Logic

While I'm here, I just wanted to say this: TIP YOUR BELLMEN AND VALETS! If someone hefts 150 lbs of luggage out of your car and up to the 15th floor and gives you restaurant suggestions, all while making small talk and explaining the hotel's amenities, GIVE THEM A FEW BUCKS! If someone looks after your rare, nice vehicle and ensures that it gets pulled up and parked promptly, GIVE THEM A FEW BUCKS! I can't TELL you how many people don't even think to tip hotel workers who are doing work that should OBVIOUSLY warrant tips. It's nuts.

As someone who has worked in hotels for 6 years now, I can tell you that this is not accurate. I have a good rapport with the housekeeping supervisors, and it absolutely IS normal to tip housekeepers. Not a ton, but a couple dollars on the nightstand, at least.

People buy food and drink inside the stadium? Weird.

Yep, I jumped the gun on posting what I did in Foles' case. My bad. Not sure it deserves a "think twice before posting" admonition and an angry red face, but you do you.

The degree to which a team is willing to put up with a player committing these types of acts is directly proportional to how talented said player is. That's not good news for Dodson, given that he's an undrafted free agent. If I'm the Bills, I would release him as soon as it's legally/ethically appropriate to do so and go find another JAG to get preseason snaps.

Great article from KBW today about Levi Wallace. I was ALREADY rooting hard for this kid, but now I will do so even more fervently. Also, the article sheds light on his choosing the number 39 for this season. Cool read. https://www.wkbw.com/sports/bills/rare-levi-wallace-finds-strength-in-the-scars-of-a-fallen-friend By now, most know his on-field story out of high school. A zero-star cornerback recruit out of Tucson High School without a Division I offer to speak of, only a hope to walk-on with the perennial title game participants, Alabama. It was a shared favorite school between Wallace and his father, Walter -- though a task so ambitious that some would brand as foolish. "You're not going to tell a kid he can't do anything -- and especially a kid like Levi who is just so motivated," said Wallace's coach at Tucson High, Justin Argraves. "In high school, he didn't have the size -- a taller kid, lankier kid, but he was skinny. Wasn't the fastest kid, so he got overlooked." Wallace defied those odds, fueled by a lack of respect. He wanted to prove that he belonged. He did. "At this point, I feel like I'm born with it," Wallace said. "I feel like I always have to prove myself." A learned birthright that found even more motivation while enrolled in college to push further past becoming an impact starter at Alabama. Fuel also brought on from two of the worst moments of his life...

Well, for one thing, read the sentence that you typed right above the sentence that I bolded. Fullbacks play an enormous role on special teams. From the Buffalo News: "DiMarco played on the punt-coverage and kickoff-return units in every game and was on kickoff coverage almost every game. He played five games on punt returns. In all, he played 38 percent of the special-teams snaps." Add nearly 40% of the special teams snaps to around 15% of the offensive snaps and you have a rosterable player.

That was awesome. Josh Allen seems really likable and easy going. He seems to have the type of personality that other players will gravitate toward and respect. He also seems super competitive in everything he does ("I'm 1-1 so far!"). Also, if I'm not mistaken, Chris Simms might be Allen's biggest advocate in the national media currently.

What the Bills need to be able to do is VARY their pacing on offense. That's what the Pats do. There are times when they run an incredibly fast no huddle. There are times when they run a medium-speed "muddle huddle". There are times when they run the play clock down to one second and snap it. Sometimes, they switch up these various tactics in the same DRIVE. Fast, fast, fast, then slow it down. Bleed the clock, bleed it, bleed it, then hurry to the line and snap it. It is that varied offensive speed that gives defenses so much trouble. JUST running a no huddle all the time or JUST playing ball control isn't the way to do it in 2019. Multiple, multiple, multiple. That's what the Bills offense needs to be, whether it's formations, run-pass frequency, or huddle-up speed.

Ty Nsekhe is as close as you'll find to a perfect poster boy for The Process. You want to talk about continuous improvement and a "growth mindset"? How about the guy that worked his way up from the MINOR Arena League, to the regular Arena League, to practice squads, to a backup, to a KEY backup, to now a big paycheck and a potential starting gig? I got a Process semi just typing that out.

This article points to a pretty large and undeniable -- but often overlooked -- truth: A team takes on the personality and the work habits of it's leader. Look no further than the Rex Ryan Bills for proof of that. Sean McDermott is absolutely, positively the type of guy you want setting the example and building the culture. Honest, humble, intelligent, open, direct, a constant thirst for knowledge and improvement, the best work ethic of anyone in the room, emphasis on accountability, faith, family, love, learning and hard work. What more can you ask for? People will hem and haw about him forever, probably, because he's not great with challenge flags or because he, um...claps a lot, I guess? But when you look at what really matters in a leader and in a coach, McDermott's got it all. Like I said in another post: It's a really exciting time to be a Bills fan. Oh, and one more thing: The Athletic is totally worth the subscription price. The freedom and access the writers for that website have allows them to write pieces that local beat writers simply cannot. Give it a shot.

I like Murphy. I think he was held back last year in a big way by his injuries. Even so, there were times where he was making a positive impact for the D-line. I expect a nice rebound season for him this season. I doubt he'll ever be a 12 sack per year kind of guy. I think 8 or 9 is attainable, though, and that's perfectly fine for a left end.

This roster is just filled with players that I like a whole lot and am really rooting for to succeed. Guys who make it EASY to root for them. I mean, think about it: Tre'Davious White is one of the more likable football players I've ever seen. Upbeat, positive, does everything the right way, funny, has fun out on the field, lifts his teammates' spirits, is a great ambassador for Buffalo, etc. And you can go down the line and see guys like that. How do you not root for Levi Wallace? Talk about a self-made man! Taron Johnson? The dog in that dude! Poyer and Hyde are both smart, versatile, productive players in their prime. Edmunds and Milano are athletic freaks (and Joseph, too, for that matter). Ed Oliver and Harrison Philips are about as likable and promising a duo as you could ask for at DT. Same on offense. Mitch Morse, Dion Dawkins, Wyatt Teller, Cody Ford. Robert Foster beating the odds. Singletary getting to learn from McCoy and Gore. Allen, perhaps the easiest to root for QB you could ever imagine, with his toughness and scrappiness and fighting spirit. This team is young, talented, hungry, and has extremely high potential. They're also all hard working, engaging, likable guys, for the most part. And how often do you see a head coach build a culture that includes the concept of "Loving each other" and "becoming a family"? That type of closeness is really going to pay off when the going gets tough. It's a really easy team to root for. It's a really exciting time to be a Bills fan.

I hope Wallace takes a stranglehold of that position and never lets go. Wallace becoming a high quality starter would be the best case scenario for the Bills, both from an age and salary standpoint.

Or the hospitality tent...

The battles for starting guard spots seem to have taken shape: Long vs Feliciano at LG Spain vs Teller at RG May the best men win!

This. In season one, he was still working his way into the starting lineup. In season two, he was making as many plays as any linebacker in the league, but JUST when he was starting to get name recognition, he got hurt. I look forward to Milano claiming his rightful spot as one of the five or ten best weakside linebackers in the game this season. The Edmunds/Milano duo (can Joseph step up and make it a trio?) will be terrorizing the opposition for the next decade in western New York.

Outstanding! The Foles era off to a great start in Jacksonville, just like the ODB era in Cleveland and the Bell era in Jersey. Is it too much to ask for the guy you paid $478 Billion to to show up for OTAs?

I was sooooo glad to find out that Jackson was never even CONSIDERED by One Bills Drive. I did not feel like going through the "he can run, but he must learn to be an actual QUARTERBACK completely from scratch!" song and dance with him. Although, ironically, I suppose people could say the same thing about Josh Allen...

......we do?

You know what's crazy? Out of the five 1st round rookies QBs of the highly celebrated 2018 QB class, Josh Allen is the one undergoing the LEAST change and is arguably the BEST set up for growth and success. A case could be made for Mayfield, but even he has a new head coach (even if said coach was already his OC last year). But the rest? Rosen is on a new team AND his third offensive coordinator. Darnold has a new head coach and new offensive coordinator, not to mention a bunch of organizational dysfunction. Jackson has a new offensive coordinator and apparently didn't even know it. It's refreshing to see a Bills rookie QB be out in front in terms of continuity and structure around him.

Everyone jumped on the Lamar bandwagon early because the Ravens made the playoffs. I'm telling you, I think this kid's going to be a bust. He is NOT an NFL level thrower right now. Unless he makes serious strides, I see him having an RGIII level career.

Boy is it sad what people consider "too long to read" these days.

I'm with you here. Year two is so big for young quarterbacks. Once defenses start taking away the long ball and playing contain to keep Allen in the pocket, what will happen? Will he learn to read the defense, take the checkdown, take the 3 yard gain? Will he actually utilize Cole Beasley, who I expect to be open most of the time due to the attention that must be paid to Foster and Brown? There are big questions Allen needs to answer on the field before any reasonable person can say he's a surefire franchise guy. In keeping with the theme of the post, I'm optimistic, but hopefully not hopelessly so!

Thanks for taking the time to write that, @Shaw66. I count my self as a hopeless optimist,,as well. I use the words "relentless optimist", since I like to think I have SOME hope. It looks like you have some hope, too. I'll just say this: I've never experienced real, sustained success from my favorite football team. Not really. I'm 32 years old. That means I was 3 when the Kelly Bills started dominating and I was 8 or so when they finished. My very first football memory is of crying because the Bills just lost a Super Bowl. I didn't even really know what that MEANT at the time, but the adults around me were all pretty upset, the feeling in the room was of pain and loss, and I knew this was very bad news. I started paying closer attention to football and to the Bills, started really knowing the names of players and really watching the games, about the time Rob Johnson and Doug Flutie came along. In other words, right in time to witness the worst era in the history of Bills football. It's been a long and disappointing 20 years, obviously. Imagine this: I don't know what it's like to root for a team that has a franchise QB! Think of that. 20 years of investing time, energy, heart, soul, and money into a team that has not, at any point during that period, had consistently high quality quarterback play. Out of 20 seasons of being a football-obsessed Bills lunatic, I've witnessed only 4 winning seasons. 4 out of 20. What I'm trying to say is that I literally don't know what it's like to root for a winning team. I don't know what it's like to expect the playoffs, and a legitimate shot at the championship, every year. I don't know what it's like to enter each offseason knowing that the QB position is taken care of, so we can just focus on upgrading the team around him. I don't even know what it will feel like or how I will behave. Graciously, I hope. Hopefully, the scars of the past 20 years of bad football will stay with me, so that the pain of those moments can make the success taste all the sweeter. Call me crazy and hopeless, too, because I see what you see. I see the ownership, management, coaching, and players all lining up perfectly. I see a quarterback who has the potential to be an all time great. I see a shiny new stadium on the horizon and a long term future in Western New York. I really can't believe it. Can it really be true?! The day that the Bills win the Super Bowl, I will drop what I'm doing and fly to Buffalo. To be in that city post championship victory...to witness THAT parade?! Wow. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Can't wait.