Rochesterfan

I totally agree - double blind studies on donated brains is nearly impossible. That is why it is critical to find markers in the blood or using brain scans that can help identify this in live patients. I think with all of the baseline testing and scans being done now on athletes that this data will begin to help shape the discussion and it is data that can be conducted on healthy people also to see if similar changes occur in non contact athletes and general population. Of of course it is Russ Brandon the devil himself (lol) ?

They are finding more blood markers and in this case evidence from brain scans - where the damage occurs to determine dementia and onset of CTE. This is the third such study that is finding that it is not concussions as much as potentially brain injury combined with other factors that leads to CTE. These studies are much more scientific in nature not just looking at known CTE people, but “healthy” players with no issues. I think long term - concussions will be linked to some of the mood swings and memory loss players experience depending on what part of the brain gets bruised and injuried. It is obvious that getting lit up and suffering a concussion is bad, but it may not be the driver to CTE it was touted to be years ago. I can’t wait to see more studies on this from both sides. More research was always needed.

Not surprising in the least. The issue with most current studies published is that the donated brains were from people suffering from CTE at the time of death. Duh - of course they are going to find CTE - so they naturally assumed that the concussions were the cause. What more and more studies are finding is that it is not concussions that cause the issue - especially as they study more players that had concussions, but are not affected (the majority of players). They also find CTE in people that had did not play sports and had no known history of concussions. So there was always more to the story. That is why the shift about 2 years ago from concussions being the big culprit to repeatedly being struck in the head. Lots of little injuries, but that has not panned out either. I believe they will find something genetic in the end that makes certain players more susceptible (similar to the narrowing of the spinal column that caused paralysis for some players) and that combined with both the physical toll (oxygen depletion- banging of the brain - etc.) increases the risk factors. I will not argue that concussions and repeatedly getting blows to the head are bad for you long term and may have some impact, but I have always thought it stupid that a big deal has been made that in people with suspected CTE that donated their brains and CTE was found - they made assumptions with no control groups, no studies of brains in healthy football players, no studies of CTE brains in non-athletes, nothing to make it scientific and provide real insight.

You missed the biggest change of all: ’17 OC - Dennison - Horizontal/timing passing attack ’18 OC - Daboll - Varied attack week to week - attack multiple levels To me this is what will make all of the rest of the 2018 starters better. The attack Daboll wants to run would not work with last years QB and receivers as well. The change at QB will allow the change at OC to make this a very different and varied offense.

Yeah -Steve has mentioned that a few times on the radio. He went up to see his son practice with Johnny before the trade and spent time with his old coach from Houston. Hoping to have him on to talk some old school football.

Typically depending on the job - you get some training and maybe a mentor for a short period and then you are left on you own and expected to swim. Sounds a lot like Training Camp and Preseason with a veteran around to mentor. Not a great example either way.

I would not hold the yardage as anything great, but he threw for 57 yards basically through the first half. Brissett threw for 69 in the equivalent of 5 quarters. I am not sure the snow protecting you was much help with the wind and cold. He left with the Bills leading and had the only TD up to that point. It was also very windy as they were talking about this morning. Was it a good outing -I don’t know, but he was easily the best QB that played that day - although Webb may have had the best throw.

Having read this thread and thought about it - I think both sides of the argument is just plain wrong - period! You do not ruin a QB by starting him too early - this can be proved by guys like Manning, Aikman, Luck, Wilson, etc. You also have guys that benefit from sitting like Rodgers, Brady, etc. You also have guys that sat for various parts of their rookie season with mixed success - guys like Goff, Rothlisberger, Brees, etc. There is no one right way or one wrong way to develop a QB. It depends upon the individual QB and how the team moves forward that will determine success or failure. Some people (even QBs) learn better/faster and more by playing or doing. These guys need to be immersed in the game to get the most out of it. They learn about the speed and the reactions as they play - something they can not get by watching. Some players can pick up a lot by watching film and practicing and are much more prepared when they get a chance to start, but others would get little out of it. In the end you must understand your QB - you must support the QB - and you must give him time to develop in either process. For some that means tough love and for others that means coddling, but either way it is the coach/QB relationship that must stand whether that QB starts from Week 1, Week 4, Week 15, or Year 3.

NFL teams usually do not platoon the O-Line either. The O-Line and the QB tend to work more in unison to set blocking and blitz and platooning either will impact that. Could platooning either by series, by quarter or in game time frame, or even by game work? Yeah, but only if you have 2 distinct QBs that neither is good enough by themselves for long term success. The issue becomes if one starts to win or move the ball more consistently- then you look like a fool as a coach for playing the other. Flutie/Johnson could have been a great example of that as Flutie provided a free wheeling, open concept and Johnson a more traditional drop back role. Neither was good enough to hold a long term starting NFL role and both had strengths and weaknesses, but they never would have co-existed long if this had been tried because both wanted to start. I think in the end the competitive nature of these guys would destroy any chance at it working long term. Baltimore will be ok if they limit Lamar’s role to more wildcat style plays, but if they pull Flacco and try to run entire series with Jackson - I think Flacco will flip out and the team will begin to splinter behind different camps.

Even moreso for live sporting events because the people watching live actual may see some commercials - just see the Super Bowl for that fact and the number of sites dedicated to SuperBowl commercials. The top TV shows that are not sports are more and more often being “TIVO’D” and people can skip the commercials, but it happens less with a live event. I will delay the start of a Bills game so I can skip commercials, but eventually I catch up and have some. Even cord ore cutters many times get antennas to watch local games live and therefore add to the revenue potential that other shows can not draw.

Bennett and cohort Bruce Smith formed one of the most feared pass rushing tandems of all time. When one thinks back to the long and illustrious history of the linebacker position at the University of Alabama, a few names always come to mind. There was the tough and gritty, hard-hitting Lee Roy Jordan, one of Bear’s Boys. There was possibly the greatest ‘backer to play the game at any level in the legendary Derrick Thomas. There is a litany of more recent names from the Saban Era such as Dont’a Hightower, C.J. Mosley, Rolando McClain, and Courtney Upshaw. Some have made their marks on the pro ranks, while others remain works in progress. But one former Crimson Tide linebacker who distinguished himself not only during his time at Alabama but as a prolific pro defender in the NFL is Bama’s beloved “Biscuit,” Cornelius Bennett. Bennett was easily one of the most heralded linebackers to play at the Capstone, and he parlayed that potential into a dominant career in the NFL which saw him play for a Super Bowl five times with two different teams. Bennett was a fixture on the Buffalo Bills “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” teams of the late ‘80’s and early ‘90s, when the Bills dominated the AFC but just couldn’t make it over the hump to get a Super Bowl ring. More https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/7/13/17565710/the-case-for-cornelius-bennett-pro-football-hall-of-fame-crimson-tide-buffalo-bills-falcons-colts Great player, but not a HOF player. His chances are better than Incognito, but neither should make it.

Eventually the NFL will sell full streaming and makes games available in different packages or through specific companies like Amazon and you will have better and more specific access, but for now - the NFL gets a butt load of money from DirecTV and DirecTV is going to do everything to maintain their control. Once that contract is done - my guess is they will open up a true fully functioning streaming option along with a TV option to try and double dip and get more money. For most of these games the download is based upon the local market you are currently in not where you bought your phone or what number you have. For example when I travel to England - even with my local cell number you lose access to local programming. The phone knows where you are and that controls what access you have. I will not say there aren’t ways around it, but for those of us not so savvy - it works. Just like if if you are local you can stream WGR and the games on the App, but if you are traveling the App would shut off the game on kickoff and say that due to regulations you can not get the game outside your local market.

Based on what I saw - this is right - I do not think based on the preliminary set-up this is a game changer. It can can help a bit, but other streaming methods are better.

The talking heads think we lack talent - not sure if Beane or McDermott agree. I would not be shocked to add a veteran cut at some point or maybe a minor trade, but I think what you see is what they plan.

I agree - the Blitz did not seem like a money winner, but considering the writers were all ready on staff - it was not going to be much of a loser. The issue is if the writers don’t think it will work or is not a model they embrace - it never has much of a chance to take off. I think the loss allowed them to offer the buyouts and they got what they wanted and a bit more. They also stated that although they offered buyouts to everyone - some they accepted and some they denied - that tells me they had no issue letting Bucky and Sully go in this case.

How or better yet why would we vote now? We have not seen the block, we have not seen who is starting where, we do not know who the QB will be, - all of these things matter. I do not anticipate it being very different from last year. They lost a guard, but have a better scheme supposedly so it balances out.

Or maybe they felt the could get TT and a one year deal rather than a multi year deal for AJ

Saw this - class act all the way

I think based upon what other like Sal C and Fairburn talked about last year was the offense was designed to get passes off fairly quickly on 3 and 5 step drops - especially early in the year. The idea was with the players picked up Zay Jones, Matthews and the change of scheme - outside zone that the Bills were going to attack at different depths, but stretching the field horizontally and putting pressure on the CBs. This was to open holes in the running game, but it did not work that way. There were few designed delayed runs called. Many times at the 3 or 5 step drop the ball did not come out and then pressure started leaking and TT did what he did best - avoid the rush and scrambled around. Many times the sacks and pressure were on TT for moving outside the protection and into the rush.

I also believe that reviewing and discussing this can have some impact on what we expect the next offense to produce. It is very easy to say that TT made few mistakes and therefore with QB change and the OL changes the offense will be worse, but it is also correct to look at the new OC and the new QB trio and the youth at WR and think maybe they can get more out of less through better design and a QB that will make the plays in the passing game. TT was not a bad QB, but he was also not a drop and rhythm passer and the offense last year and the one this year will be looking for QBs to throw in rhythm to the WRs. TT was very good at the deep outside throws and the comeback routes that allowed him to see the WR and the coverage and make his plays. It is part of the reason I believe Landry in Cleveland is going to explode on TT at some point by game 4 or so. He is used to making a break and getting the ball in stride 3 or 4 yards down field and I do not think he will like the routes like Robert Woods ran - 7 - 10yard comebacks.

Oh - I agree fully - I also think he and TT will not mesh real well as TT is more of a reactionary thrower and sort of free wheels the offense and my guess is that will not go over very well. I just believe that Hue is very short lived and they are looking for a reason to kick him out and I believe Haley will get the job on an interim basis at some point this year. I also think Dorsey will want an offensive guy to lead the team and develop the QB - we will see how it all plays out - especially with hard knocks

You are a strapping Jock.

I agree and that may have been the talk before as he was hired, but then after the season the owner makes the statement Hue will be back and then doubled down on that during the playoffs. Sometimes things change if the person in power thinks it will reflect poorly on him and then others are left scrambling to make do and pick up the pieces.

It is on the owner - I think he wanted to pluck Nagy from the tree.

Because the the owner was an idiot and would not keep his mouth shut - I believe if John Dorsey had been allowed to hire - Nagy would be coaching Cleveland rather than Chicago. Now they have Hue for the year and Todd Haley as the OC and probable heir apparent if they want an offensive coach. It should be fun.