Success

That was a BEAUTIFUL drive. Mixing it up, getting 3rd downs, Allen looking sharp. This is the Bills team I know.

Maybe he made some good points. But I don't care. He's a clown, and a joke, and a perfect example of EVERYTHING that is wrong w/ the sports media in 2023. He is a disgrace.

So, we won the game. We can finally stop all of the hand-wringing.

Every DC is going to watch what the Jets did on Monday and try to clone it. JA will adjust, because he'll have to.

He was great last year until the UCL.

Sorry for the non-Josh Allen thread. All offseason, we wondered how the D would be without Frazier, and w/ McD making the calls. I've never been an x's & o's guy, but what I saw was pretty encouraging.. We were all over the passer, and our line was in the backfield all day. The corners seemed to be playing a bit more press, and for the most part, locked it down. The only issue was giving up some big runs - but there were just a few of those lapses. I think our personnel is better, so it's hard to gauge (Groot is clearly taking a next step, Oliver looks better, Floyd is a great addition, etc.). There is also the consideration that the Jets O-line isn't good. What did everyone think overall?

Amnesia re: the last 20 years. Allen could easily end up a top 20 QB of all time, and maybe even top 10 w/ his skillset. He's allowed a bad game here & there.

The WR corps is fine. Other great QB's have won titles with less. The issue in the 1st week was more the decision-making.

Here's the deal: McDermott is a solid coach. I don't think that is disputable. He ended the Bills drought, and we've been a contender ever since. Most Sundays, the team is well prepared, and the gameplans are good. If you don't want to settle for that, and have your sights on trying to get a "great" coach - I mean, who knows how long that might take, and if it would ever happen? Great coaches are not common. They're the anomaly. There are very few in the league right now. I just don't think you can waste JA's prime trying to find someone better. You might as easily end up with someone worse. And a last thought: Reid was viewed the same way as McD at one time, when he was in Philly..

Groot is gonna get those sacks that he came so close on in week 1.

Bill Simmons' "welcome to the Bills are Overrated Island" tweet was annoying. Though, I love how Patriots fans hate the Bills now. Gotta keep chasing that feeling.

One of these days, we'll live in a more forgiving world. Today, sadly, is just not that day.

Oh, yeah - I forgot. Week 1 games are always weird.

Without doubt. But some of the online stuff - from Bills fans - has gone SO far beyond that. It's like many fans have amnesia about how much the dude has done for us over the years, and how many games he won pretty much on his own. I've been pretty disgusted by the tone of some of the posts here & elsewhere. They make him sound like a complete bum.

Bills 38 Raiders 16

All of the hot takes from Monday (both here & nationally) will gradually start to melt away, starting w/ Sunday's game. If we don't win by multiple scores, then I officially don't know who the Bills are.

I'd also add - he played a really good first half. Not stellar, but he was 17-21 at one point, and was making some great throws. The wheels obviously came off after that, but if there were big outside factors going on, you'd think we would have seen it from the start.

I'll take "much ado about nothing" for now. Nutty week 1 game w/ weird energy from the kickoff on, against the defense that Allen has traditionally had some of his biggest challenges with. If we see more of the same on Sunday, I'll start to furrow my brow. Right now, I'm stoked about how this team will look when JA starts locking in. I think our defense could be right up there w/ the best this year, and if the offense can get clicking, we can go on quite a run (imo).

I really can't celebrate this aspect of it. I feel 100% empathy for the Jets and their fans - getting Rodgers was the right move, and they had such an offseason of hype and high expectation. To see that crumble after 4 plays was brutal. That said, I still think they'll be a very competitive team. I actually think Wilson could be okay for them, if asked not to do too much. With Hall & Cook playing, they'll be able to win games grinding it out and playing great D. It would not surprise me to see them sneak in the playoffs.

It kind of evened out. There was a big hit on Wilson later in the game that I thought should have been called.

Beane got this one right. So glad this guy is on the team and hope he has a long & successful career here.

I think he is. And I'm as big a Kelly fan as anyone here. At his best, Josh is better.

I know what you're saying - but there have been a lot of these sentiments, like "elite QB's don't have these kinds of games." They kind of do. Tom Brady was the most efficient QB I've ever seen, and he had a terrible game in the 1st Giants SB. He also had some bad games against us - in that game that Fitz won, I think he threw 4 picks. Same w/ Peyton Manning, Rodgers, Big Ben - anyone who we consider to be a top QB, or an experienced vet. I am as dismayed by JA's performance as anyone, but until it becomes a pattern, I can't worry about it too much. As the days go by here, I keep thinking of what a surreal, kind of loopy 1st week game that was. Many week 1 games are like that, but with all of the drama around Rodgers, and emotional swings, I just can't put too much stock in it right now. At halftime, I thought Allen was having a pretty solid game. I think he was 17-21 at one point. If he puts another foot on that ball to Cook, it's a TD and the game is likely over. Obviously, the wheels came off after that, but in the scheme of things it's just a bad half of football.

It's being discussed - but it is also getting a little lost in all of the Josh Allen talk: the rest of the team looked pretty formidable. I'll grant that the Jets have a bad O-line, but our pass rush was fierce. Floyd is an amazing addition. Groot looks like he could be our Bruce Smith in the years ahead now. Oliver looked very solid. Even Epenesa chipped in. Bernard did well at MLB. Milano was absolutely stellar. The corners did their jobs nicely Kincaid is who we hoped he would be, and will only get better. Love Cook, Harris & Murray & in the backfield. And our O-line held up well against one of the best D-lines they will face. If JA can get his act together (spoiler alert: he will) - it's not a stretch to say that this year is our best chance for a title yet.

I think 80-90% of what we saw last night can be filed under "Jets issue." He has had some of his poorer play against that team. I think he's going to tear it up in the weeks ahead. He'll face a few other great defenses - I think the Pats have that, and certainly the Cowboys. But in general, I think he'll use last night as a learning experience and be able to take real advantage of lesser defenses. It will be interesting to revisit the hot takes - both here and nationally - in a few months. Obviously, I could end up being wrong - but I think he's going to really rise to this occasion.