Richard Noggin

A wincing "ooh" or "ooph" or "ouch" type of reaction.

WARMER

Phew?

Warmer lol

Except Rypien was absolutely dealing in that offense that year. Jimmy G isn't exactly humming.

His faith-based approach to life definitely won't HURT McCown's chances if Easterby has influence... Consider Reich's persistent personal connection to and professional belief in Carson Wentz. Very much rooted in their shared faiths. Which I point out without judgment.

We got season tickets together this season. First time for both of us.

3rd game though, right? We were home in the 1st matchup last season I think.

I realized early on that I was OVER prepared. I was actually preparing like I was going skiing in the same conditions, which means that wind (even on a calm night) becomes a factor. So I had a face mask and ski goggles on top of all the other cold weather layers and warmers, to ensure NO EXPOSED SKIN. But truth be told, I never pulled the goggles down from my forehead, and rarely even covered my face with the mask. Heck, I had my gloves off much of the game. Still can't believe how comfortable I was in those temps.

I strongly disagree with the bolded. Belichick (and Brady, because eff him) have shown to be both sore losers AND sore winners (used to run up the score relentlessly back in the day, plus their post-game lack of sportsmanship is well-documented). How the LEADER of a multi-billion dollar sports franchise conducts himself following wins AND losses matters tremendously to the culture surrounding the NFL. You just know their "alleged" legacy of subversion and "competitive advantage" has merit when they reveal themselves incapable of handling defeats with any modicum of class or maturity. They truly don't believe they should ever lose, based in part on their pervasive campaigns of finding every possible competitive edge, rules be damned. Toxic competitiveness is a thing. Which is why rules and regulations, and enforcement, are so essential. I should also stress: I think Belichick is the best defensive mind in NFL history, and truly does respect the sport on a macro-level. I generally find his curmudgeonly act to be amusing. But make no mistake, he's a ruthless doosh whose hatred for losing can rob the sport of its joy.

The conclusion reached in this last sentence, from an otherwise reasonable post, is completely irrational. And Sean McDermott would be disappointed in your fixed mindset here. The Manning Colts finally got past the Brady Patriots, didn't they? The Young 49ers finally got past the Aikman Cowboys, right? The Madden Raiders got past the Knox Steelers. Ideally failure begets growth, which leads to success. (Look into Carol Dweck on youtube.)

Is that effing Johnny Depp playing backup? Wtf? I enjoy this album (Jim James is a beast), but had no idea about that odd little cameo.

It won't be Saturday which gives the Chiefs a short week and the Bills a long week. Too much disadvantage for the darlings. Tennessee and Cinci on Saturday. No disadvantages there.

It was cathartic for so many reasons. Vanquishing a nemesis in such convincing fashion, in such "extreme" conditions (it wasn't really that bad at all tbh), and moreover doing so in person at the side of my long-suffering, senior-citizen, role-model-for-Bills-fandom, who'd-never-attended-a-night-game, mother...it was meaningful. I'm glad the team feels less satisfied than the fans do right now. Because I feel great.

That's fair. Mumm-Ra?!

I was NEVER cold for a moment. Granted, I over-prepared for the elements, but at times my gloves were off, my beard was wet with half frozen beer, and I was completely comfortable. No wind was the key. Heck, my 69 year old mother, that tough Sicilian legend, was right beside me the entire time (absolutely swaddled in layers and ski goggles and body warmers and sleeping bags, of course, but there to witness). It was awesome from start to finish.

There was a group of guys in 337 last game cheering wildly and ironically every time the ref did the #72 eligible announcement, which was often. It was a funny schtick. But dammit if tonight from our seats I wasn't SINCERELY doing the hand signals for a lineman declared an eligible receiver (like pantomiming brushing something off both shoulders) and cheering every time I saw #72 report. I WANT TO SEE SPLITS OF OFFENSIVE SUCCESS WITH AND WITHOUT DOYLE ON THE FIELD TONIGHT. It FELT like those were effective plays, especially in the red zone. But that might just be my newfound love for our new jumbo TE2 personnel and the fact that the refs have to broadcast it every time.

Seems like Judon (and maybe Bentley, too) might have been diminished by their COVID bouts much like our own Dawkins was for many weeks. Many players over the past two seasons have admitted it robbed them of stamina and strength, and others have simply shown it on the field. It's possible Judon's disappearing act late in the season can be at least partially attributed to that. And of course Dawkins seems to have recovered his juice since going on the list a 2nd time this year! Wacky stuff. Maybe rest was the key there?

That sounds more like fixable rookie stuff tbh. And I agree. But the fact that when a guy is WIDE open (like on that Hyde INT play) deep and/or down the sideline, Jones struggles to drive the ball with enough velocity to prevent DBs from recovering. Or when his base is unsettled or too open, and his passes just die on the way to their targets (that late throw to Henry in the flat near the endzone)...that stuff is damning. He's Chad Pennington with more size and some sneaky athleticism.

This is catnip for my soul. I like them apples. Notice how they don't criticize Mac Jones's lack of arm strength. That's my takeaway when watching him. He's got everything else. But his deep and sideline throws take FOREVER to get there, allowing plays like Hyde made (which was a bonkers pick on its own merit, mind you).

I'll be there with my 70-year old mother. Just trying to keep her safe in those conditions. And of course help the defense when I can.

Unfortunately, so many Bills fans (and fans in general) are STILL stuck on old clichés about football, and a conditioned lack of trust in organizational decisions stemming from over a decade of obvious ineptitude. But the sport in general, and the organization in particular, have evolved beyond our collective nostalgia and shared trauma. The stadium (and the internet, and the living room. or the garage or wherever) is filled with unbearable NFL experts whenever the team isn't cruising to victory. We design narratives to fit the way results interact with our beliefs.

That piece from The Athletic is REALLY SOLID. The following quote, analyzing Mac Jones's decision NOT to throw the ball downfield on a play-action opportunity, is EXACTLY how outside analysts should process their own limitations. Rare quality in the broader ecosystems of sports commentary. The author writes, "Instead, he checked the ball down. Without knowing exactly what Jones saw or what he was instructed to do, we can’t say definitively that this was a bad decision. But the point is the Patriots are going to have to capitalize when they have opportunities to make plays downfield" (emphasis mine).

I'll be there. It's bad luck, yet again. Look at the surrounding days. Cold, but totally "normal" weather. And boom, of course gameday is gonna be the coldest day of the season. Every single week like that. Nice weather until gameday.

I'm only worried about my mom's ability to deal with the cold. She'll be 70 this spring and has never LOVED the cold. We got seasons for the first time this year, as she is the primary reason I'm afflicted with Bills fanaticism. This past game against the Jets was a decent training camp for this week's cold. The lack of wind will be VERY helpful.