Success

The Chiefs aren't as good this year. It will be different w/ Kelce in there - but that WR corps isn't giving DC's any nightmares or anything.

It's a fun thing for the media, and it's not unwarranted. All last year, the talk was that they were "just a QB away" - and they got one of the best in the offseason. But I'm sick of hearing about it at this point. Really can't wait for the teams to take the field so we know what's hype, and what isn't.

I've said it a few times - this is the best team of the JA era. It's the most talented, the deepest and the most balanced. Honestly, it may be the best Bills team of all time. I don't know if that sounds like sacrilege or hyperbole (or both), but I think it has potential to be.

I'm not. But I'm not a pessimist about him either. I do trust Beane, McD & the rest of the staff, though - and I think they have earned that to this point. If they think he can start, I'm all in.

What's wrong w/ trusting McD and Beane when it comes to Bernard? What should we put more stock in - some youtube videos, and scouting assessments from when he was coming out of college? The limited time we saw him last year? I'll never get that POV. Why not wait & see what we've got here - instead of basically writing him off w/ the limited info we have? He's a 3rd rounder, and I'm glad he's getting a shot to prove he belongs here.

I have no idea, either way. YOU are the one making definitive pronouncements, based on a VERY limited sample size, in a player's rookie season. It's not really based on much.

It IS disappointing about Elam - but the guy can definitely play, and w/ the other players we have at CB, it gives us amazing depth at that position. One of the keys to winning a title is great depth, imo. We have it in a few position areas.

Where is this coming from? He hasn't played enough to make any sort of assessment about how good or bad he might be. "A bit?" You're making that kind of definitive judgment by seeing him "a bit," in his rookie year? This is mystifying to me. I can't imagine writing a player off based on such a limited sample size.

It is VERY popular now to predict the Bills will either take a step back, or miss the playoffs entirely. The stuff I've heard always comes around to the same idea - they thought the Bills were SB faves the last year or 2, and were so let down because the Bills didn't get there that they just can't do it again. No logic to that. It's just a feels kind of thing. But I prefer the lack of hype.

Kind of ready for anything. But my actual expectation is that it won't be too dramatic. The Bills are the better team, & still the division faves. The Jets will be establishing their new identity. I think we actually end up winning comfortably in this 1st one.

Reid is great. But he's not a miracle worker. They'll put up points & do fine. But I can't think of anyone outside of Mahomes & Kelce who will give me much concern when we play them.

We ran for over 300 yards in a playoff game once using a lot of reverses & fake reverses (Tasker was a big part of that). I love the reverse - and the fake reverse.

Here's hoping for a fast & full recovery. I'm probably one of the few Bills fans who likes Kelce. He's fun to watch when he's not playing us. But I think people are going to be surprised by KC's offense this year. They have one of the more average WR corps in the league. I don't consider that team to be our biggest competition in the AFC right now.

Not really OT - I saw this & was surprised we weren't talking about it yet. That Jets D is formidable. The CB's statement was hyperbole - but they actually could be one of those D's we talk about as time goes on. This 1st game concerns me because of that. They won't stop our offense, but they can slow it down - and if Rodgers can put up enough points, they can certainly get the win. I think we win the game, but their D is a concern.

Brady played golf, too. No one has any idea how much film Allen watches. We do know that clowns like Whitlock say anything to get clicks and ratings. So, there's that.

That's my pick also.

That's certainly fair. Personally, I think Allen was a bit better - but it's kind of splitting hairs.

The question of whether Mahomes or Allen played "better" in the 13 seconds game comes down more to if you're someone who celebrates stats, or someone who looks at more intangibles (imo). Allen outplayed Mahomes when it counted. But his team lost, and that's football.

I have this odd feeling Nick Wright's 20-0 prediction won't make it past week 1.

I've got 12-5. I think the division hype has '22 AFCW vibes. Not that the other teams won't be good & improved - but the Bills are still a level above.

I'd be curious about the "film" comment, if Josh ever made it. I saw it mentioned here & elsewhere - but have a hard time believing I would have missed that if he said it. The media would have run w/ that for a bit, imo. JA's improvement over the course of his young NFL career has been astounding to me - he's such a different QB today than he was his 1st couple of years. That's work. That's not just him slumming it & relying on his skills, which he has always had. I think Whitlock was trying to get some attention - and it worked. But I don't think his commentary has much to do w/ reality. Especially the comment that JA doesn't have that "dawg" in him. Cripes.

He's such a "look at me!" guy. He's kind of the new Bayless. Allen is his Lebron.

I'm normally a huge fan of his. He has such a unique skillset - and is capable of greatness in any moment & in any game. I'm no D expert - but I feel like we'll be able to get pressure on him without blitzing, given the Jets' line. I think the D in this game would be better served by playing physical w/ the receivers and trying to disrupt things enough to give our D-line time to get to him. He's going to make some big plays, but the key is not allowing him to get comfortable and start to pick us apart. I'm truly excited to see the defense under McDermott.

I've always seen negativity in sports as cautionary. It's just easier to not get your hopes up, even if that is warranted. The disappointment if it doesn't pan out like you hope can hurt. I've never cared about that, which I feel fortunate about.. I don't think it makes me better than anyone - I just don't care about it enough to try to "protect" myself. And I've had a lifetime of heartache & disappointment at this point. But more often than not, I've started out September saying "this is definitely the year." Including an embarrassing # of times during the drought.

Marino is a good cautionary tale. Those teams were always poorly constructed - they put more emphasis on weapons for the great QB, instead of building the trenches and shoring up the D. And I agree - he was the best, imo. Football is the ultimate team game - SB wins aren't really much of a measure, as logical as that seems to be. Most fans go by that, but so many things go into winning a SB.