Richard Noggin

This would give them an extra day of rest when they travel to Orchard Park the following week, though, innit?

The criticism over the extra day of rest for the #3 seed (vs the #2 seed) is legit. But that unfortunately just isn't the focus for the Week 18 broadcast schedule/map.

The Super Bowl hype was always bonkers to me. They subtly lost a lot on the defensive side of the ball (1st and 3rd level mostly) that no one wanted to talk about, and of course had who they have at QB. Tyrod Taylor could have better galvanized that team to be in the hunt, in my opinion. He would have been able to utilize Mike Williams without alienating him, and the running game would have been more effective with him bootlegging and running the RPOs.

Morality and ethics don't make convincing arguments in the face of these insane corporate broadcast contracts, unfortunately. The money talks. And the money demands a premier matchup Saturday night. Will accept a less meaningful, but same division, matchup at 4:30. So there we have it.

Not to mention, it's an AFC NORTH rivalry game in the final week of the season with playoff implications for BOTH teams. Difficult to imagine a somewhat middling Pittsburgh squad led by Mike Tomlin letting their collective foot off the gas.

I know there has been an effort in recent years to have mutually meaningful games played in the same slot to prevent an early result from influencing another team's lineup/load management. But maybe the money on Saturday's bid came with certain flex stipulations?

So the schedule was released just now?

There is some Jets fan on my company Slack "Random" channel who just trolls and spams with pro-Lamar content. So much of it is just hype stuff with no real concrete argument. He didn't like when I asked him why, as a resident New Yorker, he roots for a team that moved to New Jersey.

The Seattle game was virtually the same gesture, which then on the very next play resulted in a TD to Coleman from his QB who was in no way at all insulted by his WR's feedback.

Love to see posters PMing and helping out here earlier today. What is simple to some is simply unknown to others, and vice versa. More of this.

No way to be sure, but the trajectory looked like it would spin right into Johnson's waiting hands except that Coleman goes up like a housecat and snatches it.

Honestly? If Coleman doesn't jump out of the gym there, Ty Johnson catches that cleanly without leaving his feet. Perfect throw to #26 lol

The Jets have a solid track record of taking things away from Allen and causing him to reconsider and/or force the issue. His cleaner play in recent matchups is a testament to him and Brady.

That's the McDermott Difference™️

Totally agree about Cincinnati's downfield passing: Higgins is like a better Mike Williams (long strider who can haul it in down the boundary...the prototypical #2) but Chase is a complete WR who does everything REALLY well and makes you defend the entire field. Something to note about this year's downfield 50/50 balls and the downfield game in general: the ball is in a lot less danger than in past seasons. Hollins, Coleman, and Cooper are much more QB-friendly contested catch dudes than what we had previously.

Home opponents are tough. Last year to defend the turf against a tough slate. Bunch of primo matchups.

Not unreasonable to fear Henry and Lamar in bad conditions. But I still think Allen has a passing advantage over ANY other QB in the league in bad conditions. Bills could have won that insane wind game against NE on MNF if only they'd unleashed Allen as a passer sooner.

Gotta lock up the #2 seed to at least guarantee Baltimore would have to come through Buffalo in the playoffs. They're not as imposing on the road. And we beat them at home in the playoffs already when they had a better defense. Lamar has definitely progressed since then, and their offense is more dangerous overall, but I'll take the matchup as long as it's in OP.

It's about time we debate the Worthy vs Coleman picks. Finally.

The calls felt incredibly one-sided towards the end there. We did some vigorous booing. I still need to watch a replay to get a 2nd opinion from myself.

Bills fans appear to be doing the oft-dreaded "over-looking" thing. Someone ought to warn us about letdowns or trap games or whatever. Because we all know that fans need to be disciplined and take it one week at a time. Or else. (none of this directed at you necessarily)

Newton used to be an easy and reasonable comp for Allen (especially physically), except Cam never grew enough as a processor and facilitator to remain in that company. Allen is playing the position on and off the field at a level Newton never even sniffed (despite Cam's statistical productivity, especially early on). Plus Newton's arm was kinda forever effed midway through his career.

It's always been Cunningham and Elway who most favorably compare IMHO. Both were a bit lighter and a little shorter, but both were the elite physical specimens of that era who could also play the position. Difficult to compare numbers across eras, but upon closer review, Cunningham was an effing monster for most of his career, relatively and statistically speaking. Elway was much more pedestrian throughout. Both became better game managers later in their careers, with Elway winning a couple 'ships while hobbling around and handing it off and converting important downs, and Cunningham being the first QB to enjoy explosive productivity with the domed WR duo of Carter and Moss (Culpepper would inherit this historically rare privilege). That 1998 team was electric, and could have given the Broncos trouble if they'd defeated the Dirty Birds. Interesting little rabbit hole to go down here.

Well the pressers don't actually reveal anything, as you well know. And I also have not watched Maye outside of some game highlights. I think we all know he has a hose, and is big and athletic. But he also has a somewhat elongated release, and probably isn't always clear and decisive in his coverage reads. Maybe holds the ball at times. You're right that McD's Bills defenses have feasted on similar QB profiles, provided they can neutralize the Pats running game. I imagine that will be the focus Sunday: stopping the run to set up advantageous 3rd downs. My concern is that the Bills will be vulnerable to screens and slants and RPOs on 1st and 2nd downs. Maybe Ed Oliver decides to show up again this week and Maye is made to be uncomfortable from the drop. That's kind of the lurking X-factor. Individual matchups the Bills SHOULD win.

...baby