BigDingus

The salt from the fans right now is UNREAL! 😂

"THE NFL IS RIGGED!" Wait, they didn't use a perfectly good opportunity to screw the Bills? Nvm then, all good

This is what the score should've been at the end of the first game... No stupidly long TD run for the Pats + the Bills actually converting on one of those multiple redzone opportunities 😁

At least they remembered they are still allowed to run lol

I'm guessing we're down both a punter & a place kicker... because we've gone for every 4th down without much hesitation at all. Such a strange game. One thing is obvious - Josh & the coaching staff must feel WAAAAAY more confident NOT playing in horrible weather conditions!

Defense doing their job again, offense needs to capitalize now!

Now that's the kind of crap that you can't do if you hope to beat the Patriots... Defense creates a great opportunity for you, offense gets in the redzone, then proceeds to drop an easy TD pass. Oh, and before that, Moss basically tackles himself by tripping RIGHT in front of the goal line

It's ok, we have plenty of offensive linemen available. Nothing to worry about. Nope.

Man, the Pats are just doing what I did in Madden 2000 back on the N64. Just pitches & tosses to the RB on the edge, turn the corner, and run for the hills! Coincidently, much like the Bills, I too couldn't defend it when it was used against me by another player 😅

Protection was great on that play. Props to the O-line! If they can continue playing like that, the sky's the limit! 👍

Lol sounds about right 😂

They just let them get stomped by the Colts...

Ugh... I hope at this point any "on the fence" people just get vaxxed, & those that are get the booster as soon as they can. Obviously, with all the variants it can still spread, but any extra help to prevent these situations would be huge! We hear it all the time, the best ability is availability... Some of the players probably thought like me & many fans before the season, assuming we'd pick up where we left off & cruise to the playoffs. The risk of missing 1 or 2 guys missing a game or two due to COVID protocols/testing positive didn't seem all that bad looking at the schedule. Who would've thought how razor thin the gap is not only for the division title, but even a WC spot! Alas, we're not just losing 1 or 2 guys for some crappy Jags game (oof), but many key players, all while each game becomes exponentially more important 😟

Just add it to the number of other good choices he made from that game 😂 I'm not bothered by it at all, but man, I can't remember a game when a Bills O-linemen was so visible & in the spotlight (and for all the wrong reasons). Usually, they fly under the radar & get some praise/criticism on specific plays, but Brown wanted to make damn sure the commentators reminded us of his name all day long lol

Well, it's definitely a number of factors, most of which people have mentioned. So I'm just going to nerd out & break down the stats.😂 Skip to the bottom for whatever guess I figure out. Alright, time to take a look... Targets: 2020 - 10.38 per game 2021 - 9.14 per game Receptions: 2020 - 7.94 per game 2021 - 5.86 per game So on average, he's getting 12% less targets, and is catching only 64% of those passes, whereas last year he caught 76% of those targets. On the plus side, his average ypc is nearly identical (slightly better) at 12.3 ypc, & he already matched his TD total at 8, still with 3 games to go. ********************************** Now lets see how his teammates stood last year vs this year: 1) Cole Beasley (2020): Targets - 107 total / 7.13 per game / 5.46 receptions per game / 76% catch ratio / 11.8 yard avg. / 4 TD's Cole Beasley (2021): Targets - 101 total / 7.21 per game / 5.43 receptions per game / 75% catch ratio / 8.4 yard avg. / 1 TD (Beasley only played 15 games in 2020) 2) Gabe Davis (2020): Targets - 62 total / 3.87 per game / 2.19 receptions per game / 56% catch ratio / 17.1 yard avg. / 7 TD's Gabe Davis (2021): Targets - 46 total / 3.29 per game / 2.07 receptions per game / 63% catch ratio / 16.2 yard avg. / 6 TD's (Davis only played 13 games in 2021) 3) Dawson Knox (2020): Targets - 44 total / 4.00 per game / 2.18 receptions per game / 54% catch ratio / 12.0 yard avg. / 3 TD's Dawson Knox (2021): Targets - 61 total / 5.08 per game / 3.67 receptions per game / 72% catch ratio / 12.0 yard avg. / 8 TD's (Knox only played 11 games in 2020 & 12 games in 2021) 4a) John Brown (2020): Targets - 52 total / 5.78 per game / 3.67 receptions per game / 63% catch ratio / 13.9 yard avg. / 4 TD's 4b) Em. Sanders (2021): Targets - 67 total / 5.58 per game / 3.25 receptions per game / 58% catch ratio / 15.1 yard avg. / 4 TD's (Brown only played 9 games in 2020 / Sanders played in 13, but only counting 12, as injury in 2nd qtr vs Bucs left him with 1 target/1 rec) Results on this Front: Inconclusive - Aside from Dawson Knox receiving 23% more targets per game in 2021 (and catching a massively improved 18% more of those), most everyone else is averaging similar targets. Beasley's average targets are slightly up, Davis's are slightly down, and surprisingly Emmanuel Sanders is averaging less targets than John Brown was (so much for the theory he's taking away from Gabe's targets). ********************************** So, perhaps it has more to do with less passing overall? Since Allen started every game in 2020 & 2021, I'll base his numbers through 14 games for both: Josh Allen (2020) - Total Passing Attempts - 511 / 36.50 att. per game / 25.07 comp. per game / 68.7% completion / 4,000 yards / 30 Passing TD's / 9 INT's Josh Allen (2021) - Total Passing Attempts - 528 / 37.71 att. per game / 24.57 comp. per game / 65.2% completion / 3,734 yards / 31 Passing TD's / 12 INT's Still not a huge difference, though it does show he's throwing a bit more, completing a bit less, and doing it for less yards. He has 1 more TD, but 3 more INT's as well. But those results above, what we've seen for ourselves, & in combination with the following things is where I think a more clear picture starts to emerge... 1) Through all 16 games last season, Josh took 26 sacks. 2) Through all 16 games last season, he had his lowest rushing yards (421) & yards per carry (4.1) despite still having his usual 8 rushing TD's. 3) Through the 14 games this season, he already has 26 sacks, with 3 games to go. 4) Through the 14 games this season, his rushing yards have shot up to 555 yards (76 short of his high as a rookie), avg. 6.2 ypc & with 4 TD's to show for it. Some of this is by design, but much of it appears to be out of necessity. As Allen became a better passer, his rushing yards went down each year. His TD's stayed the same, because that's when he took advantage in the redzone. 26 sacks in 14 games compared to 26 all last year may not seem awful, but I looked into it a bit more. This year Josh Allen is one of the most pressured QB's overall in the league. 52 knock downs (6th overall), 74 hurries (1st overall), 146 times blitzed (4th overall)... If he weren't so mobile, those numbers would be even worse! No wonder his rushing numbers have gone up so much too. *********************************SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR THIS NOVEL - I'M MAKING THIS A BAD HABIT 😅********************************* Final Guess: Diggs' targets have slightly dropped, as have a couple others, as Allen has been throwing a bit more often but hasn't been as accurate (mainly due to inconsistent line play & extreme pressure). Because of that, he's had to do a lot more improvising & rushing, trying to make something of broken plays or simply mitigate a bad situation. Compared to 2020, his attempts were of higher value on average, as he had more time to process & make plays as opposed to salvaging what he can in a hurry this year. In addition, Knox has been the biggest beneficiary of increased targets, & Allen's need to improvise, reducing Diggs' overall opportunities even further. Similarly, the RB's have had more receptions through 14 games as well, likely another result of needing a quick outlet under pressure or when scrambling.

Best quote of the article, by Belichick, & it happens to be something I feel the need to constantly remind people on these boards (especially after losses, when calls for every coach's head flood the front page) - "...in the end, players win games,” Belichick said. “Players make plays to win games. Without good players and without good players making good plays, there are not a lot of games to be won. Whatever strategy, game plans, or plays that we use, whatever they were in any game, ultimately, comes down to the players, their execution, decision making and fundamentals on those plays." I want to really emphasize that last part too. Trying not to rant (as I tend to do lately, apologies), nor to crap on any player, but for example.... 1. It's 4th & 1 on our side of the field, close game against the Pats, down by a score with 5 mins left in the game. We decide to go for it, ball snaps, oh it's not a run play... but wait, Knox is wide open, man beat, streaking down the left sideline. Allen lobs one up, hits Knox in the hands...drops it. Many fans (not all) might freak out, rage against the call, say we should've ran it instead, etc. My issue is it wasn't the play call at fault. Everything worked as designed. The opponent was beat. Allen had time to pass, got his look, caught the Pats off guard, but a drop ruined it. 2. The amount of times I've heard both "we're too one dimensional, we need to run more & take pressure off Allen," while also hearing "running the ball is a waste, passing is our strength!" is crazy... When Allen throws 50+ times in a game, we tend to lose. But when the O-line gets pushed around, or we're not getting big chunks of yards right away on the ground, fans instantly get frustrated & think we're wasting possessions. When something isn't working, it's always the coaches getting blamed for not doing more of the other thing... or it's the usual claims of a poor game plan, failing to adjust, giving up on the run, or whatever cliché people throw around. Sure, we'll go down the line & blame everyone else too when we're mad (hell, even up to Beane for team construction) after a loss, but remember, these guys got to the AFC Championship game last year. McDermott has helped the Bills be a playoff team 3 of his 4 full seasons here (compared to 0 out of 17 seasons the other half dozen provided). Last week added plenty of validity to Belichick's statement. Spencer Brown alone... dude was a turnstile, otherwise he was setting the Bills back penalty after penalty. Some could blame coaching for lack of discipline, but the more simple explanation is he was the inferior PLAYER & getting beat by a superior PLAYER. ***************** TL;DR: Anyway, just a friendly reminder when reflecting on games (especially immediately after losses), what did the PLAYERS do/fail to do. Were they fundamentally sound? Did they take advantage of the opportunities on the field? Did they throw picks or fumble away? Did they overthrow open receivers, or did the receivers drop perfect passes? All of it factors into the results. Coaching matters, but good players executing better than the opponent matters most. 👍

Like I said, there's always exceptions & examples to the contrary. Poor play is poor play. But to argue bad elements don't negatively impact skill positions, make games sloppier, or favor the worse teams is disingenuous at best. All the evidence proves this.

I believe if he were asked then yes, he'd be honest about his symptoms. I also don't know who exactly is asking the questions, if they're independent from the NFL, actual medical professionals, etc. or are more like team trainers/coach-like people who have the mindset "the player knows his body best," or will do the hint, hint, nudge, nudge "you don't HAVE to play, but it'd be great if you could..." kinda thing. Because it's not just Beasley that likely has the work culture thing ingrained in his mind, but everyone surrounding him as well. Trainers & staff have a job too, & theirs are to keep players healthy & get them on the field. But ultimately I agree with you, and if he was explicitly asked, he'd be straightforward. But if one of the questions was "do you think you need to be tested for COVID?" the guy would definitely say no 😄

I think actual ticket sales are fine (given how cheap they tend to be), but actual attendance seems to fluctuate quite a bit. I distinctly remember a few years back watching a December game where there were many, many holes in the stands. Worst of all, it was a division game, Bills vs Dolphins, with playoff hopes on the line. Pretty sure it was 2017, Bills were looking for a wildcard spot, Dolphins looking to stay alive in the playoffs. The only thing I could think of was it must be the cold weather & wind, otherwise, why isn't the stadium packed? We were looking to end a 17 year playoff drought after all! It wasn't even snowing, rain wasn't pouring down, nothing... The game could've been sold out, but the stadium looked like it was at 80% capacity or worse. Crowd didn't even seem much into it, just kind of there, bundled up, enduring the freezing weather. After this, I started to notice more & more November/December games where the stadium looked quite a bit less filled, even more so with actual bad weather. Cold & wind seems to be enough to convince more people to stay home these days, but throw in freezing rain, snow or above average wind into the mix, & the couch at home seems more appealing. It won't be the case every time; a chance to play the hated Patriots on MNF for the Division lead certainly can be persuasive to push through, but that's not consistent.

Extremely disappointing. I know NY is a more expensive state for just about everything, but comparing what we'd get for $1.4 billion to what others got for similar (or much less) is just sad. Even adjusted for inflation, it's a huge downer 😓 Saddest part of all is by location alone, it all but guarantees virtually zero potential benefit to the region & surrounding areas. It's pretty well known that these NFL stadiums yield a net-negative for the taxpayer in isolation, as the money reaped from them primarily goes to owner. However, they can be a catalyst for economic growth overall, as everything from infrastructure & public projects to small & large businesses emerge around it. Those in turn help spur more development, more growth & bring in additional revenue, not directly tied to the stadium or team itself. ******* And no roof/dome... just a cost-saving measure for sure, but ultimately disappointing. Diehards will rejoice, but countless other fans (and more importantly - majority of players) will not be thrilled. I enjoy watching snow games & awful weather as much as the next guy, but only when 1) I'm watching from home & 2) it's not my team playing. Tired of watching games not come down to pure skill, but to an excess of random elements. Sure, skill is still involved, but it almost always favors the less talented team by making games sloppy & more about chance. There's an exception to every rule, anecdotal evidence to provide contrary points, & examples to give that show "yes, good teams can persevere & overcome bad weather!" But after decades of watching these things, it's pretty obvious poor weather leads to more mistakes & more random elements. Josh Allen will be our QB for the next decade barring injury, I'd sure love to see him have a guaranteed 8 home games slinging it with full comfort & control.

Because if he experienced only mild symptoms, he may feel he's played through worse & wants to play anyway. In this hypothetical scenario in which he was already vaccinated (and not being tested daily), he could chalk it up to a million other things aside from COVID & try to just power through. Even my own doctor just thought he had severe allergies for a couple days before getting tested. In that time, he had already traveled to Dallas for a conference & back again. Many professionals, especially in the US, have it drilled into them that come hell or high water, you show up to your job unless physically incapable. It's a culture thing... sick or not, go to work. I've had employers straight up say "if you're not dying or in the hospital, don't call out." I had the flu once, was told by my boss I can't call out (had people on vacation he couldn't call in), so I showed up. Within a week, half the office had the flu, including literally EVERYONE working that day with me 😂

I'm hoping his "views, just like everyone," are intentionally vague as to not accidentally upset a teammate like Beasley, and not because he actually thinks like Beasley. I'd also like to remind people who always throw out the "98% or 99% *survival* rate," that there's a LARGE range of issues aside from just A) survive or B) die. Some of those issues can impact you for months, possibly life. You may end up with reduced lung capacity/severe breathing issues, suffer through weeks in the ER, experience a multitude of issues from constant & reoccurring headaches to things like chest pains & constant fatigue. As much as I want these players to be on the field for selfish reasons, I hope their general wellbeing & quality of life stays healthy & happy. Similarly, I hope all of us average Joes remember that simply not being at high risk of death doesn't mean you aren't at risk for a hell of a bad time. Stay safe everyone & be smart!

The officials sure didn't help them yesterday... I mean if there was ever a close game that a call here or there could help change the outcome (and against a team everyone expects the Bucs to beat), yesterday's game would've been it. Pretty sure the refs just do ALL THE METH, then proceed to throw out flags at hallucinations that startle them. Sometimes the flags just line up with actual penalties, & the fans are none the wiser. That's the real reason refs huddle up together after a call... they're brainstorming ideas to cover for their drug-induced visions. That's my conspiracy theory, & I'm sticking to it! 😈

Earlier in the season, we had posts from people claiming they missed the "underdog feeling," or they missed playing around on the ESPN calculator trying figure out what teams needed to win/lose in order for the Bills to make the playoffs. They're starting to get those feelings back now, but a Browns win would REALLY help bring back that nostalgia 😂 Added Bonus: When the media doesn't automatically favor the Bills in every game, they'll get to rant about how everyone disrespects the Bills & gives us no credit again! Wins all around!

Soooo... any of the "NFL is rigged" crowd want to explain why the NFL wanted Brady & the Bucs to get SHUTOUT....by the Saints of all teams? 😂