corta765

The greatest irony of the 2022 class is Elam not really making it as they literally drafted 4 impact starters and two of which Benford/Bernard are all pro level and Shakir might not be far off either.

The top two games which the entire city of Buffalo has said they attended are the Comeback and Snowbowl. I always laugh with the Snowbowl as I was there front row with pics to prove it and at max there was 58k there (still impressive given the weather) yet I have met so many people who apparently attended. This game might be entering the third slot for people in attendance but are probably lying/confused hah.

Wildest thing of the black out rules was the fact they didn't end until 2011. The NFL for how aggressive and good they are with marketing took until only 13 years ago to realize blacking out games is bad haha

After yesterdays win this is the last take I was expecting to read and my only advice is watch the Jets/Pats game if you want to see what life is like without 17 in the future and you cannot just appreciate good football

I have had a hard time picking this game; Seattle is a really tough place to play, their offense can hum when it wants, the Bills offense is still vibing up, and in general while I think the Bills are a better team Seattle has a very well rounded roster. Three things having me picking the Bills: 1. Weather will make throwing the ball tough & while Seattle is tops for passing they are near dead last rushing which helps Buffalo. 2. Seattle is near top 10 in turning the ball over, Buffalo is the best at not turning it over. 3. Jerome Baker being traded there. This is a classic weird fact type situation where the Bills beat a player back to back weeks which is incredibly rare Bills 26 Flock of Seahawks 21 Bills get an early 10-7 lead courtesy of Shakir getting a nice 20 yard TD on the opening drive and a fumble by Geno that allows the Bills quick FG before the Hawks get TD in the air. 2nd quarter the Bills have a nice 6 minute drive capped by Allen rushing a TD in at the goal line which Bass then misses the XP due to slippery conditions, but the Hawks are able to get a TD before half on the ground to make it 16-14 Bills. The Seahawks drive out of half but Douglas baits Geno on a throw at the Bills 15 for an INT. The Bills run down the field before Allen gets a TD throw on a play action as Coleman gets the TD and the Bills go up 23-14. The Hawks answer early 4th quarter as Geno gets Lockett on a 35 yard bomb to make it 23-21 Bills with 9 minutes to go. The Bills drive and run a lot of clock but penalties ruin at TD drive and Bass makes a 44 yarder to make it 26-21 with 3:30 left. As usual the defense scares the hell out of the Bills faithful as the Hawks get to the Bills 29 before failing on downs. Allen 245 yds 21-29 2 TDs 63 yards rush 1 TD Cook 73 yds 12 atts Shakir 94 yds 6 rec 1 TD Douglas 1 INT 3 PD

He was Krafts hand picked guy I would be stunned. Like the Cowboys the owner think he is the reason for the 6 SBs not 12 or the HOF coach who got more out of rosters then the other 31 coaches.

No not in the least. The move they made for Cooper truthfully is what they should have done in the offseason, they just benefited now from a cheaper price tag. The issue with the offense was always what you saw in the BAL/HOU game being what happens when the team has to go off script and/or you don't have Shakir who at the time was their best weapon to beat coverage. Henry is a superb player and Samuel certainly is giving buyers remorse at this point as I do not think anyone saw it going this bad. But I felt the way now as I did the moment Diggs especially left which was you need a true WR1 who can move the rest of the WR Corp down to their proper position. Shakir is your stud at Slot, Coleman can move around but is a rookie so he needs to be a WR3/4 to see his best play given his age and need to grow, Mack will be at his best when he is a WR4 in a very defined role. The entire WR corp was off because of the roles they were in with how the roster was. Samuel even at his best is WR2 not a WR1 so the issue was always present, but his regression and then the issues when your off gameplan or hurt just magnified greater. This no longer is an issue as Cooper is legit even if he is 80% the guy he was 4 years ago, the load is lightened across the board. The greatest benefactor now is Coleman who you will see more games like Sunday with less pressure and coverage on him. I really like that Shakir/Kincaid/Coleman now can keep growing with less pressure which will only help them more as the season progresses. I have said many times the best version of this team and offense specifically will come out the last 6-7 games, Colemans addition will help this in spades. If there is a position now I would add where you could take Samuel cap and make it go away it is DE/DL or SAF. DE/DL you can never ever have enough and the proof to beat great QBs is forever shown with 3-4 d line man rushing that do not require a blitz but destroy the QB aka 07 Giants blueprint. I like our DT/DE group, but I would add 30 more elite pass rushers if I could, you never have enough. SAF is more a luxury stability thing at this point as they are fine, but a true difference maker would be really nice.

Yes BUT if they were going to keep Jones they should've kept Barkley who was a big reason for Jones best year.

The Bills team from the BAL game to now is different which I have to keep reminding myself of. Between the team being far healthier and Cooper coming which evolves the offense tenfold I can't compare what we saw then to now. Don't disagree that Seattle is a tough matchup and probably their hardest until KC, but the circumstances are also different too. Seattle is just a tough place to play though and that team has a ton of pride where even if Buffalo gets up early its going 4 quarters.

There have been rumbling that the Mara ownership has become more hands on over the last decade also coinciding with the teams regression. My personal belief is when Jones had his one decent season which he had that great playoff game Mara felt they had their guy at QB and directed Schoen to resign him. Barkley I think he arrogantly thought they could do better without paying on Schoen was perfectly fine letting him gone. The whole organization for a decade now has reeked of mismanagement internally.

They did it to themselves specifically owner and GM by paying Jones but then not paying Barkley who was key to Jones best seasons. Daboll is no fool and knows they don't have the horses up front and Jones is a crappy QB. But you can't do much when the Gm/Owner are driving the ship the way they have. It still is mind blowing to me that a GM who saw the proper way to address the QB position and how to maneuver as best as possible in the draft, leaves to become a GM and then overpays a crappy QB when the time was then to draft a kid. Their decision based off their 1st season would've been like if the Bills kept Taylor for 4 more years after 2017 instead of moving on to get Allen.

Complete side note but one of my favorite things in a sad way about the Browns is when they returned in 99' they had Drew Carey do a pump speech pregame. Place went wild, he told all the haters to shut up etc their back in the NFL deal with it .... they got shut out at home against the Steelers 43-0 lol Hard hard reality check real quick out of the gate lol

This to the max. Ironically drought era I probably watched more football on Sunday because the Bills were almost always a 1pm slot so you just watched 1 to SNF. But when they are not on Sunday until night or at all I am wayyyy more productive plus with kids now the wife and I just do more stuff out of the house with them instead. I will say I think the NFL hit a really awesome peak between new players, changing of the guard, passing attacks, and overall games from 2018 to 2021. In that time the Patriots got their last title who were a draw because they were hated by most and that last win was when KC exploded onto the scene with Mahomes who almost knocked them out, Mahomes himself urshed in a new group of young guns that included Allen Lamar & Burrow, you had 4 different SB winners NE/KC/TB/LAR so that was cool, Brady did finally fade though which was a thing same with Big Ben which was the last of the old guard, and the offense was insane during that time. The last two years KC has become an immovable object that has stopped a lot of quality teams and QBs from breaking through, offenses are down, and the games themselves have seen running games reemerge which for viewers is not as exciting. Honestly I think the NFL is quietly hoping KC fades in the post season for the next 3-4 years so some fresh faces make it in the AFC to the SB and add some new storylines. I do think they are very close to oversaturation and the streaming piece is not the best thing as it has finally made it slightly tough to find games sometimes.

So the stadium situation there is messy. They lost their team despite being ready to fund Modell a new stadium, when they got the expansion team back the timeline was tight and required a stadium to be ready for open in 99' which gave just 3-4 years tops to get it done. From everything I have read back then and by CLE folk the stadium was a rush job and things as simple as have multiple escalators etc were cut or not done to save cost and also get project done quicker. For the 14-18 events a year there it brings a lot of people there, but in retrospect everyone there has realized what a colossal waste of space it is on prime real estate. So in terms of the current stadium the renovation idea really is kind of a bad idea between the cost required and the location itself. With that said the Haslams have zero desire to have a stadium still downtown, they want a complex the way everyone else is building them where ancillary development can be made surrounding the stadium #moremoney. The stadium itself looks like a factory built by Benderson and the Shein version of the Vikings stadium which is beautiful, this is atrocious in terms of design. Apparently Cuyahoga County though is not exactly thrilled with this idea of the Browns moving there and the city still desires to have the team. Per usual like most stadium fights it breaks down to this: Owners - desire the site they found which maximizes their income City - doesn't want to lose team but will work on a deal that is middle of the road in owners eyes Fans- Split because some want new, some want current, some have nostalgia... in the end they lose the worst Best Solution - Never gets explored which is taking time to find a spot in the city of CLE that keeps the team downtown while letting the owners have the potential for some development. This won't happen because the owners are greedy, the city lacks vision, and it actually would take some time

I feel like your prediction is slightly closer then my Bills 27 Titans 16 although the game goes the same way

Bills 27 Titans 16 Bills come out hot between the good vibes from beating the Jets, finally being healthy, and Cooper now in the fold to go up 10-0 by the end of the first with Josh getting Shakir a TD on the Bills opening drive and an INT turning into a FG. The Titans manage a drive and Pollard runs it in mid 2nd to narrow it to 10-7, but the Bills go downfield and Samuel scores on a screen from 10 yards out to make it 17-7 Bills at half. Titans make a drive out of half but it stalls and forces a FG to make it 17-10 Buffalo. The Bills go on a long clock killing drive with Cook rushing in from 6 yards out and the Bills are up 24-10 late 3rd. The Titans don't do much but Josh finally throws an INT which hits Kincaids hands. Not to worry the defense holds and forces a FG. The Bills then drive again and get a FG, Titans got a late FG to make it close but the game is already decided. Allen 265 yds 23-31 2 TD 1 INT 15 yards rush Cook 81 yards 1 TD 12 att 20 yards rec Shakir 89 yards 7 rec Bonus prediction: Cooper 68 yards 3 rec

Yep, but the flipside is the NFC all four divisions are complete toss ups right now. I wouldn't be stunned if DET ends up being a WC team just given how tight that race is and they are probably the best team in the NFC

They are def in a weird spot. 2-3 but the schedule has some very winnable games and IF IF IF Tua were to comeback fully healthy and the offense can get back to being productive the playoffs could be a very real thing in what seems like a very open AFC. But that also feels like a lot of things needing to all happen at once AND Miami realistically needs to go 7-4 to get a spot while also being 2-2 already in conference

All indications seem he will at some point even if the team is 4-9. Not saying I agree but I would be more surprised if he doesn't play at this point.

I believe after 2025 it does lighten where they can do what Denver did with finally absorbing a ton of dead cap. But its bad real bad regardless, they have had for 3-4 years now a very very solid roster not including QB and by the time they can probably address it properly you will have to reshape it.

It has been almost a month since I did the AFC rankings so time for October. These are based off current status of clubs both record and roster for how it looks they will go, obviously things change. As always comment, disagree, get wild: The Four Horseman ... These teams are the AFCs clubhouse leaders and the true favorites at this point although they all have a degree of question when facing each other Kansas City- Undefeated and seemingly immovable they have staved off losses despite a roster which needs help. The defense is stout, but the offense is noticeably down and the injuries have been major. Mahomes is Mahomes but even by his lofty standards he has not been great. They need WR help badly but with Adams and Cooper gone the amount of major needs is low for a team that needs a real emergence. Baltimore- Derrick Henry was the best addition to a team in terms of fit this year. This offense is scary and can enforce their will on you by seemingly command. The defense though is not as stout as prior years and I am curious how the offense handles the war of attrition the regular season gives by seasons end. 1 seed would do wonders to let everyone heal up for a run. Houston - The new kids on the block look stellar and truthfully they may be the must fun team to watch in the NFL. Even with Collins out for a bit their lethal and the defense is pretty solid. Postseason will be fun to see if Stroud and crew take that next step. Buffalo - Pre Cooper trade they were not in this category but with him in the fold the offenses ceiling is back to the level needed to compete with the other 3. 17 is having his most mature season yet as he has evolved into far more a field general then the cowboy of the past. As the defense heals this team will hit its stride across the board the final 4-5 weeks (give Cooper some time) and setup the potential run to finally break thru. Playoffs!.. Actually Yeah Playoffs Pittsburgh - The decision to go to Wilson ranges from curious to awful. Fields is by far not a perfect QB but the offense at least had a bit of flash with him and his mobility created a threat that no longer exists. The defense is stellar as always, Tomlin finds a way for this team to hang around for 17 games, and despite a tougher schedule they have banked enough wins early that a playoff miss would be a bit surprising... but could happen. LA Chargers - Good coaching always does wonders and they are playing like a team very honest about their talent which is always a scary issue for an opponent. Their schedule features KC/BAL/CIN down the road, but it still has a lot of easier games where they can stack some wins. Curious if they trade for a WR to help out the kids and make a greater playoff push The Path & Opportunity Is There... But Someone Is Missing & Stealing The Headlines Cincinnati - Burrow is playing some of his best ball and the offense is for the most part back in form. But they have already dropped some winnable games, play in a buzz saw of a division, and the defense has faded thanks to injuries/talent that has left. The schedule has opportunities for the Bengals to get back into it, but cheap ownership not keep good players makes it feel like a last dance of sorts with this group and the pressure keeps adding to Burrow to keep it together. Palmer was right years ago that ownership would cost them and it already feels true. NY Jets - Adams will help the offense find a more stable dynamic footing, but Rodgers still is 40 and it shows mobility wise. His arm is there so with some protection they can hang around and the defense is solid. BUT they have lost to Denver already so even games that feel like gimmes on what is a weak schedule maybe shouldn't at this point. Not sure what is more Jets missing the playoffs the last day when it is win and get in at like 9-8 or make it in at 10-7 only to get steamrolled the next week. Aquatic Mammals Exist Miami- Tua will come back but it does feel like Miami is really letting him take his time, but even before he went out the offense already started feeling shaky and as though McDaniel was low on answers. But this roster just lacks depth even if Tua comes back 100% and with the offense already shaky it feels like they will need a solid regroup in the offseason just to get back to where they had been. Horsey Teams! ... They kick a bit but don't have the "horses" to go the distance Denver - Bo Nix has had some moments and Payton has gotten them to be relatively competitive, but the road ahead is really tough and this offense has no juice to really make it through the season. Still they will play four quarters and pull upsets because of it. Indianapolis - Nice story with Flacco right now and offense can do things. They will probably be in the hunt still in early December and maybe they get lucky like CLE last year, but they just feel like they plateau and get passed by better teams especially with a near league worst defense. On To 2025 ... four of these teams have a long painful road for fans to watch while the other has a rookie QB that hopefully inspires hope Cleveland - The impact of the Watson trade just keeps getting worse. Playoff caliber roster that is sunk by a QB they refuse to remove and ownership too stubborn to admit their mistake. Roster windows open and close fast and it feels like by the time Watson is out of the picture they will have to reshape the talent base again. Poor brown fans Jacksonville - It is truly amazing they were 8-3 and top of the AFC less then a year ago. Whatever has went wrong here starts with QB Trevor Lawrence who has failed to improve, but it runs far deeper given how out of sorts the team itself is. Very tough questions will need to be answered this off season and so much rides on ownership getting it right. For the record GM Trent Baalke is on his second operation where a talent base existed and as his reign continued seemingly eroded. Las Vegas - It really feels like they literally have wasted a year; no rookie QB to break in, roster isn't win now, and no real plan. They have the best stadium to visit to as an opposing fan and are really a sad franchise especially the potential that exists given the market they play in. New England - Standard rebuilding year with a rookie QB. The kids has some nice attributes physicality and the biggest hope is he along with some of the kids on offense grow. Tennessee - Levis isn't the guy which means again going after a new QB in 2025. They rolled the dice to see what could happen at least and better to burn out the way they are trying out a youngster then go middling at 7-10.

I think your being slightly to harsh on Beane in terms of underperforming. He doesn't coach the team and was not responsible for 13 seconds nor the lack of defense vs CIN. I would argue Beane is close to a top 5-10 gm league wide and without a doubt the better of the GM Coach combo that currently exists. Additionally COVID effectively screwed some of the cap work he done to maximize Josh's rookie contract and it gave him one chance to go big which was Von and unfortunately has not gone as hoped. I have my criticisms of Beane and the WR corp especially you could see from the moment Diggs and Davis left they were hoping for a lot of growth which didn't feel realistic. To his credit he addressed it even if later then we all wanted. WR is probably his biggest buggaboo draft wise as his best selection so far was Gabe Davis. His best WR moves to date are all trade or FA related, he certainly has not hit yet on anyone (Coleman too early to judge). My trust with Beane is vastly different vs McD who I think knows he has until 2025 season to make it or he is out. Looking at the team and its failures to break through since 2019 my finger is pointed far quicker and stronger at McD then the GM as I would argue all of the losses have had coaching mistakes that created failure. Last year is probably the only playoff loss under McD where I have little to gripe with given the needed gameplan because of the injuries and the one I would look more at the GM at.

The general issue when trying to predict performance and hinging on growth/improvement/whathadbeendoneprior is it all based on only the positive not that things could regress or be worse for players. If you were optimistic about this group like this poster was preseason it was based on the idea of Shakir/Kincaid both evolving into stronger larger roles, Samuel reverting to good years prior, Coleman having a really solid rookie year, and MVS/Mack improving back to one off seasons they were better. It ignores the idea of plateauing or regression which unfortunately with Kincaid the regression is quite real, Samuel I think everyone thought would be better but that does happen with FA signings, & MVS/Mack honestly are what they are and it is not surprisingly they have had a small impact especially MVS who is cut now. I call it Perfect World Syndrome where you base all predictions on everything going best case scenario while ignoring reality that some things can and will go sideways or fail.

Going off of what the team has said about 2024 being a transition year I would be flabbergasted if they moved on from McD if they win the division and lose in the playoffs. Everything has indicated while they are being competitive this year (yay Cooper!) the true goal was 2025 between reopening the cap space and draft picks. 2023-2025 drafts have all been about building the future and resetting the base talent wise. I think if by end of 2025 season the Bills have not at least made the SB they finally move on. It would be 9 years and at that point I do not know how much is left to say and I personally think Josh would finally say something.

It is interesting because with coaches you do feel like the leash has its limit but with McD it does not feel like it exists. At the same time I do wonder if buy end of 2025 season there is no SB appearance they finally pull the plug so Josh gets a new voice while still in prime. I think the sun is setting on my belief in him, but I will credit that the KC playoff loss last year was some of his best coaching despite the end result. In a game where they had to have a very specific gameplan due to injury and lack of horses on offense, they pretty much pulled it off and lost on crappy circumstances. Still a loss, but I do give him credit that they pushed KC that hard and got more points on them then anyone else.