Success

The only thing I'm worried about is his confidence. And he should have been 3 for 4. That was inexplicable. The push to the right is an easily fixable mechanical issue.

I was surprised by Darnold today. I've always been a believer. Granted, he doesn't have much in the way of a line or wideouts, but he was just bad. Really off target, and he looked rattled all game. It's funny to think back on that draft now. The Bills picking the "wrong Josh," Mayfield & Darnold getting all the hype, Jackson being an after-thought. Of the "Big 4" of Darnold, Mayfield, Allen & Rosen, Allen looks like the clear winner. I'd certainly rather have him than any of the other guys. And this is pure homer, but I'd rather have Allen than Jackson. I think when all is said & done, Allen will be more successful.

I'm a little vexed by Brady. Watching him & Cam today, I think the Pats are actually in better shape that he didn't stick around. I was pretty stoked when he decided to leave, but in a way, they would have been easier to beat this year WITH him, which seems impossible. But that pick 6 he floated out there today was unlike anything I have seen in almost 20 years of the Bills playing him. He simply didn't do that when he was in this division.

Excellent write-up! I love that football is back. And literally, it has been 2+ decades since I started the season feeling this much confidence. I usually talk myself into whatever team we have - but when I think back on Mularkey, and Jauron, and Gailey, and the Losman/Edwards debates, and going into Pats games knowing we had zero chance, and all the rest - it's an absolutely exhilarating feeling knowing we are BACK. And not with some scraped-together/win now type of team. This is a team with a fantastic core of young players on both sides of the ball, and excellent coaching - built for a long run of success. And a true franchise QB who wants to win. I feel like the long years of purgatory are over. The sun is rising in Buffalo.

Knox is a little unsung today. I thought he looked great when he had the chances.

Same. I felt 100% different about Brady as soon as he was a Buc. But still despise the Patriots.

It's a lot easier to fix than accuracy. And except for the bad miss to Brown, he was pretty on the money today. Some passes were a little off, but no comparison to Darnold. I think Allen has a really bright future.

Anyone catch much of the Pats/Phins? I didn't see it, but saw Fitz had 3 picks, and the Pats won a relatively close one. I'd love to conclude that this means the Pats aren't all that, but have no idea.

That's true. I thought our line was doing great in pass protection, but the run blocking was really lacking.

I wasn't on the game thread, but this had to be discussed: Please, please - let's limit the designed runs to Allen. I get that he's a playmaker w/ his arms and his legs, but we have 2 good backs, and he took a beating out there today.

Bass just looks like he has to make a minor correction; he's pushing them. And he SHOULD have been 3 for 4, for sure. Terrible call.

The 2nd half was weird - but the win was never in doubt, and they made mistakes they can hopefully learn from. This is the most balanced Buffalo team I've seen since the Kelly years. Josh Allen is a legit franchise QB - the search is over.

I feel like Roberts is going to make a big play every time he touches the ball. Loved Allen today.

I still remember it. It was kind of like a peak as a Bills fan. It felt like we were unstoppable & would own the '90's. Probably too easy of a win, considering the next game. I hate to think that they might have taken the SB more seriously if it was closer, but these are the things I torture myself with.

With the way our schedule looks, this already looks like a must win. Can't wait, though. This is the team I've been waiting a couple of decades for. I'm most excited to see our new franchise QB with (finally) a full contingent of great weapons. I think the right Josh is gonna tear up the league this year...

I used to feel that way, but now I don't really care. I just want to put that chapter behind us. Maybe we would have taken 1 or 2 if he stuck around in NE a few more years, but it wouldn't change the simple fact that he owned the Bills as much as any ownership can be claimed in the history of sports & athletic competition. It is what it is, as they say, and it's something I'll probably spend the rest of my life trying to make peace with. But getting a nice sweep over this year's Pats will help.

True. It might not have made a big difference, but I still think the Jets have a good one there. Which I'm kind of excited about. I'd love for the Bills to fight it out w/ the Jets for 1st place for a few years, just to flip the script on the past 2 decades.

I think the Jets are being undersold this season, personally - by everyone. Had Darnold not missed the early games last year, they likely would have been in the mix. Everyone thinks about the "ghosts" game w/ him now, but Belichick did that to all the young QB's - Mayfield, Allen, Darnold, etc. I think Darnold could still emerge as the best from that class - though we did get the right Josh. Stoked for Sunday.

This one looks fantastic. Wasn't a huge fan of the 1st, but it was passable. Good sandworms for the time period.

There must be another ex-Panther we can pick up before Sunday....

As we get closer, it's probably even more important to me than usual. Watching the other sports - it's just as tense. The NBA playoffs are insane; there is almost no difference. Even though their season was cut way short, I don't see an asterisk for the eventual winner. Same w/ MLB. This is a big season for us. When was the last time the Patriots were not clearly the best team in the division? It would be a dispiriting exercise for me to think of all of the things that have happened since the last time - things like "getting email on my handheld." Time to erase some demons. I'm 100% stoked.

2+ decades is an awfully long wait. But it makes the payoff a lot sweeter. It's a great time to be a Bills fan.

Everyone knows we're the best. This isn't a competition.

I'm one of those that always thinks we need to "earn" the respect on the field, so this stuff doesn't bother me. But it speaks to the punditry. They've become terrified to abandon past patterns when making predictions. Most will stick w/ the tried & true. I saw one power ranking that still had the Pats in the top 3.

I'll stick to my multi-vitamin and stationary bike.