Success

I feel like we'll have a chance to win a SB for many years now. But, this could be the best version of the Bills we see under JA. There is no way to really know - but now that the O-line & run game are performing so well, we really have no weaknesses. Combine that w/ a "middlin'" year for the league in general, where there is no clear favorite - and it feels like we have to take advantage of this opportunity. We can beat any of these teams right now, especially with the way we're playing. Personally, I'm ready. I always said I never wanted to go back until we had a team that I was confident could actually win the thing - and this team can.

They conducted the offseason like they were going all in for a run in the short-term. I was concerned. But I think it's become clear that Belichick - while still an all-time great - is not the same without Brady. Brady made his job as GM easier. Taking pay cuts to clear cap space, attracting good FA's to take pay cuts just to play with him, being able to turn receivers into stars. People were praising BB for the construction of this year's team - "The rest of the league zigs, and he zags! Checkers/chess!" But he's not winning w/ that team. He'll have to figure out how to navigate a conference that now has a bunch of elite QB's, while he has a game manager & aging vets.

That feeling when he smashes a phone...or walks off the field after the worst defeat of his career & his defense allowing the NFL's only perfect game in history? I want to chase that feeling.

Allen and Beane are going to be an epic combo. Conventional wisdom now is that your window starts to close as soon as the QB is off his rookie deal, and consumes a ton of cap space. I tend to reject that anyway, since a LOT of vet QB's have won SB's - but I have a ton of faith in Beane to continue to manage that & surround JA with good and great players no matter what the circumstances.

Our top 4 WR's all had significant injuries in the AFCCG. Smoke had his knee, Davis his ankle, Diggs his oblique and Beasley was playing on a broken leg. At the end, Allen simply had to force it because guys weren't getting open. They can't cover us this year. Their O may be able to keep up, but the Bills are scoring points this Sunday.

Honestly, they're drought-era Bills right now. We always had good defenses in that time, and a good running game. That's what they have. Maybe a little more hope w/ Mac Jones - but who's to say he won't go the way of Trent Edwards or any one of a # of QB's who we were excited about early on, but didn't pan out? A lot of their good players are getting older, too. That isn't a very young roster overall.

I think he's the guy who interfered w/ Knox on his 2nd TD catch.

This is a mismatch.

He was just talking about the idea of trading him now, while his perceived value is really high. He didn't get into specifics in the segment I heard. My mistake on that - I just noticed that the thread was specifically about a trade for Watson. Cowherd was just making the case for a trade, without naming anyone.

Cowherd actually made a good case for it earlier (EDIT: for trading Jones, not necessarily for Watson). Mac is solid but just won't be in the league w/ the other top QB's in the AFC. New England could find themselves contending w/ him, but generally falling short & settling for early round playoff exits. With Belichick approaching 70, he may want to trade Jones while his value is high and then go all in to try to win now (not necessarily Watson - someone like Russell Wilson would be an option also).

I'm sure they'll show it a few times in the next few weeks. They showed it after the game (early Sunday morning) and I taped that one.

The Pats guy - a second of praise before immediately "let's see them win a Super Bowl." They have such a hard time giving the Bills some credit. I'm not saying that his overall sentiment isn't correct, but it's obvious.

I have no doubt that Cowboys fans were saying the same thing in the '90's. That doesn't mean the Pats will follow the same course - but they could go that route just as easily as a route back to contention. If Belichick was younger, that wouldn't be the case. But how much longer will he coach? And they're facing a very different AFC now. There are some seriously good QB's throughout the AFC now - not like the days when it was just Brady and Manning, and maybe Rivers & Big Ben once in awhile. We'll have to see how it goes. I'm personally glad the psychological dragon was vanquished this past weekend, and I'm looking forward to a normal division rivalry again.

I've been to boards all over the internet. I definitely like checking the boards of our opponents before & after games. Most are pretty standard, and you see the same kind of discussion we see here, give or take. That KC board is toxicity personified. It is so far in the gutter - it's like 10 levels below other boards. Just a rancid collection of spite, anger, arrogance & immaturity. I won't even go there now; I like to keep my thoughts positive.

I actually WANTED a tighter game in the AFCCG last year, so maybe this won't be so bad. Our receivers were getting bumped and pushed all over the place without flags.

I've thought more about this - the Rams. I can't see the Rams keeping up w/ us. QB's like Rogers & Brady are such wildcards - they can make anything happen. I respect Stafford, but he's not at that level.

Allen has come such a long way. When he said "who did they think I was?" after that regular season game, it really caught my attention. He has THAT level of confidence now - and he has really grown into that over the past few years. Now, he's the guy who goes into a game knowing 100% that he can lead the team to victory, and he just executes. He wills it. It's a pretty big psychological edge. There aren't that many QB's who I would put on that level mentally.

Dane Jackson has been amazing. To lose a player like Tre White, and not really have much of a drop-off? That, to me, is the story of the season so far.

I kind of like to think that this might have been a ruse. After he said this, the New England media definitely caught ahold of it. Some of their pundits were saying it added to the cold-weather advantage the Pats had, and convinced them even more that an upset was possible. Then, he came out like, "Toes? You bought that? Here - watch me run for a bit...."

I feel like the Chiefs defense had the same metamorphosis as our O-line and run game. Perceived as one of the worst for the 1st half of the season, but coming on very strong over the past month. Any explanation for that? I don't follow them that closely...did they get some players back?

Oh, man. I used to be self-conscious about loving football so much, like it wasn't a worthy pursuit. I'd always roll my eyes a bit when people told me, "It's just a game...why do you get so into it?" It can be a beautiful, poetic and even spiritual experience. Football is awesome. Can't wait for Sunday.

I'd follow Josh Allen through the gates of hell.

I'll be the umpteenth to say it - but Dallas lost that game fair & square. Penalties, a bad playcall w/ the clock ticking down, not knowing that the ref had to place the ball. And they weren't on the 1 yard line. All they missed was a chance at a hail mary. Face it, Cowboys. You blew it again. They're the blueprint for how I want the next quarter century to go for New England.

I didn't want the Pats match-up, and it turned out to be the best thing ever & exactly what I needed (and, I think, every other Bills fan). I was so glad we didn't get the 1 seed and that the Chargers blew it so that we could have the game we did. What a night. I hope the same for KC. It was not the match-up I wanted...but maybe it's the match-up I need.

Man - has anyone checked other boards? There is a profound existential crisis going on in New England right now. Older fans there are fine - they're trying to walk the younger fans through it & give them the "it'll all be okay!" pep talk. Younger fans are lost. "All I've known is winning - what am I supposed to do with this?" "It's not my fault that I grew up watching Boston sports win all the time!" It's like watching a trust fund kid find out that a bad investment was made & they have to get a job now....