Success

It's pretty rare that teams get to that part of the season without some injuries. We were pretty healthy last year. Other years, not so much. To this point, unless I'm mistaken, we haven't lost anyone for the season. Even Ed has a shot to come back. My hope is that the injury bug caught us early and we end up relatively healthy by January.

Pats will very likely have a worse record next year than what they have this year. They've had a good month against some of the worst teams in the league, except for us - and that game was kind of silly w/ the turnovers & refs.

It's a more important game than I thought it would be at the beginning of the season. I figured we could mark it as an "L" and it wouldn't matter much, because our schedule was pretty easy and I'm almost tired of the storyline that we always beat them in the regular to lose to them later. But losing to the Pats and Falcons - in addition to now being 2nd place in OUR division - has changed my outlook on this one. We have left ourselves little margin for error if we want to win the division, and get one of the top seeds. I think we can have a strong playoff run as a WC, but it would be much more uphill going that route.

McDaniel would be a MASSIVE upgrade at OC for us.

The Pats have an easy schedule - but that's still a pretty middlin' team. They could lose to anyone in the division. They could lose to the Ravens, Bucs, Bengals, even the Falcons. If they really do rip through their schedule like everyone thinks, it will be a bit like defying gravity. They're just not that team yet.

I wonder if we'd really use Shaheed correctly. I mean, we DO have speedsters on the roster. I know Samuel has been hurt, but Moore is also fast, and it seems like we rarely ever utilize either to really stretch the field. The Saints do that w/ Shaheed - but would we?

Shaheed would fine - would love to see that speed, and hopefully more long balls in the gameplan.

It's more exciting just to look at that. Though, who knows what Davis has these days, and so much depends on IF we trade for a WR, and who that is.

The Chiefs looked really good tonight. Gotta give 'em props - they seem to be rounding into form as the season progresses.

Question for anyone who wants to answer: Objectively, are we a bottom 5 WR corps in the league?

Yeah - I was irrationally stoked when I saw that, thinking it would eliminate human error.

Wow! What a pick.

You're a Pats fan, I take it? Whatchya doin' here?

That was a nice hit by the defender to hold them short.

Ugh. And I say that w/ real sincerity.

It hurt worse than I thought to read this. Truth.

Seems disengaged - but I also don't want to read too much into it. I get pretty lost in thought sometimes, and it could be no more than that.

I'd be excited for Meyers. Like you said, he's an upgrade, and the attention defenses would give him might open up things for the other receivers a bit more.

It's funny - I just saw a Pats fan on another board talk about how "unbearably cocky" we are (yes, a Pats fan). They should read this thread. Or really, this whole board.

It seems like timetables in general are getting shorter on big injuries, in every sport. But the Bills are so cautious. I could see him back for the playoffs - or yesterday being his last game until September.

It would probably also mean no upgrade at WR. I'd have to question that kind of move (though of course it would be cool to see that headline).

Hope the surgery goes well at least. I'd love to think that he could be back for a playoff run. What's the scoop w/ Sanders & Jones? Any timetables for either's return?

Diggs takes up a lot of attention - I have no doubt it helps those other guys. If the Pats had the kind if injury situation we've had, we wouldn't be talking about them as a threat to the division. They've been really lucky this year.

It would be nice - but unfortunately, I think this year is about need over nice. We absolutely need WR, and with Ed out, I'd guess they see DT as a pretty big need also. Those are the 2 positions I'd expect by deadline.

I agree on the Pats' rise. That team reminds me so much of where we were 4-5 years ago. And it's impossible to not notice the difference in body language if you watch their games & our games. And for us fans, the specter of the Pats reclaiming the division before we even get a ring w/ Allen is like a theme from so many movies they'll show this week for Halloween. "Just when you thought it was over...." I'm probably reading too much into body language, or what I see as some weariness in Josh in some of his pressers - but it feels like a kind of malaise over this team right now. Even putting up a 40 burger yesterday felt more like we NEEDED that just to have a bit of hope that the team we've come to know is still there, but so much of it still felt kind of flukey. The passing game still underwhelms. It's hard to tell if the D really turned a corner even though they had a solid game. Sports is kind of a tough thing most of the time. I'm the same as you - it's not healthy how invested I get. My son talks like we HAVE to win a SB with a QB like Josh, but life isn't really about fairness and balance. The Pats might win 6 more before we ever win one, if we ever do, for all I know. That sounds pessimistic, but I'm just saying it's as possible as any other outcome. We're not promised anything, or guaranteed anything. Lots of great QB's have never won the Super Bowl, and lots of fans have gone their whole lives without seeing a title. All that said - all it would take for me would be getting a headline about Olave or BTJ or someone like that, and I'd be all in for a ring this season.