Success

The microscopic dissection of that play has gone to absurd levels. I had to tune out the national pundits after this game. Throwing a 25 yard pass to a wide open guy in the endzone on 2nd down is not "hero ball."

Brady was pretty close to that. I remember thinking that watching him at times. A lot of these guys at the top are super-competitive, but Brady was obsessed. There was a chip on his shoulder from being picked in the 6th round that stayed there no matter how many rings he got. I don't see Mahomes or any other athlete that way. There have been a lot of comments that Mahomes works harder, processes better, and is just generally better than Allen, but I don't see any significant gap between the 2. Mahomes has better coaching, and has achieved more as a result.

The coverage wasn't good. Shakir was wide open. And it was 2nd down. I have no doubt that if he went for Diggs & the pass was dropped, everyone would have been criticizing him for not getting the easy TD when he was looking right there.

I'll always disagree w/ the bolded. That play was designed for the shot to Shakir, and he was open. It's not undisciplined or even a mistake to throw to a wide open receiver in the endzone. You may not get that again on that drive. Defenses tighten up once you get into the red zone, and having an easy opportunity for a TD is never a guarantee. Any good or great QB goes for Shakir there.

Not much. If we stood pat right now, we'd be okay heading into the season. Starters I would expect to see from the draft: WR2, Safety, & DT (someone on here said that DT3 is basically a starter in this scheme, which I agree with).

First thing I do when we sign someone is check his previous team's boards (as I'm sure many fans do). They really liked this guy. Nothing over the top, but it sounds like he's a gamer who will fit in well here.

Marino was a better pure passer than anyone who has ever played (imo). But he could not run or scramble.

Believe what? That QB's aren't necessarily measured by titles? Brady Mahomes Marino

THAT is a fair take. SB champions get talked about way more, because titles are a bigger part of NFL history. But that isn't as relevant to which QB's are actually better. I give Mahomes full props - but I just don't think he's significantly better than Allen. From my POV, I'd still take Allen over Mahomes. We still would have botched 13 seconds with Mahomes as our QB. Et al.

The bolded is....well, it's somethin'.

Still a team game. I don't agree w/ your characterizations, either. I actually think coaching is the most important aspect of winning a championship. Reid is the best, and the "Mahomes is way better because he has 3 titles" argument basically ends there for me. But it's not a savvy argument, regardless. In a team game like football, "x QB is better than y QB because of titles' is a poor take. Bradshaw had 4. Dilfer wasn't better than Marino. Many more examples.

Marino. Tarkenton, Fouts, Kelly - football, not surprisingly, is a team game.

Anyone seen a dropoff in how well he's playing? Allen brings it every week during the season. He doesn't need to elevate his play, though he'll likely continue to improve. The team around him needs to strive for his level of excellence.

But...less talented than what? Definitely less talented than last September. Probably more talented than the D we had in the playoffs.

I don't necessarily disagree - but if there is one area that this staff is great at coaching, and turning average players into starters, it's the secondary.

I was just thinking this. I've seen a few mocks recently that have us taking a DT in the first round. If we really did that, I probably would take a break from the board for a bit.

It's not outlandish. After our early injuries, we were squeaking by the entire season until the end. Could have easily missed the playoffs just as easily as getting the 2 seed, as most fans know.

True. Though ultimately, there is no way to know until they get on the field. Maybe a better word is "aspirational." But it's not deluded, or pure homer. We're likely to be a top 5 team in 2024, one of the top 3 seeds in the AFC, and better than we were in '23.

I don't think the idea that the Bills will be better in '24 is "indefensible." In fact, I agree w/ it.

It's okay for fans to hope. I'm not sure why that bothers other fans.

Honestly, the Pats have a better case for contending in '24. Most of their games were close in '23. The Jets were beaten handily in most of their games. They looked terrible. Getting AR back will turn them into a top contender? But neither of those teams are a threat. The AFC East is still Bills & Miami, and the Bills are better.

Man, I'm gonna miss Tre White. He has such a great attitude & work ethic. And when he was on top of his game, he was right there w/ the best in the league.

Weirdest offseason in ages, imo. Usually, there is a clear "champ" (or 2), but I don't think anyone has moved the needle significantly at this point. It just wasn't a great FA class to begin with.

It's interesting. You have spent a lot of time on here arguing that Mahomes doesn't have much of an advantage over Allen w/ their respective situations. But here, you're presenting the opposite of that.

I get that, and don't have too much of a problem w/ it. I'd probably allow for more of a grace period before getting too snarky w/ fans of a team that my team just beat AGAIN in the playoffs, on their way to ANOTHER Super Bowl win, when that team hadn't gotten there yet. Personally, my sensitivity is still a bit tender after that one, especially when I see Mahomes & Kelce anytime on turn on the TV these days. But not everyone has to be like me. And a lot of fans here are probably well over it by now. I'll probably be okay after the draft. Anyway, all good. I'll try to take your posts & emojis in the spirit of good rivalry talk instead of getting snippy. I might not always succeed.