MJS

Because you haven't seen them play yet and because the Bills have been a top 3 to 5 team for years now and any improvements are going to be marginal because they are already really good every year. I've noticed that every person who claims to be a realist is, in fact, a pessimist.

I think the players like the all blues.

I like all reds better than all blues, actually.

My least favorite Bills uniforms.

A top 5 roster in the NFL. A deeply uneducated and incorrect statement. It is clear you do not know anything about NFL rosters.

Bills: 27 Ravens: 30 Multiple turnovers by both offenses. The Bills stall out in the end and lose by a field goal.

Lamar Jackson has a much bigger body of work in the playoffs than just that game. He doesn't rise to the moment, in my opinion. He saves his worst ball for the postseason. He has a 3-5 record, with 1,753 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, with an 84.6 passer rating (plus 6 lost fumbles). That's not good enough. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes play their best ball in the postseason. And even if the Ravens would have scored, there was plenty of time for the Bills to go win it after that. A lot of people seem to forget that.

Darn. He looked so good in 80.

Agreed. I don't even think that is a big upset, honestly.

I addressed that. Receivers switch in and out according to personnel packages. Shakir is a slot receiver, so is especially prone to being taken off the field. But the top receivers play much higher percentages of snaps. Ja'marr Chase plays 80-90% of snaps. Derrick Henry plays 60% of snaps, or less. Barkley played 70%. But most "workhorse" style backs play in that 60-70% range while most top receivers play 75-90% of snaps. Running backs need the rest.

Your Bills fandom got the better of you, haha.

I'm pretty sure Josh and Lamar are good friends and support each other. I don't think this ranking is going to change how either of them play.

I like it. He could be a great call up if we have injuries.

This is all spot on. And it is why the NFL moved from a run heavy league to a pass heavy league. It is just way more efficient. The more plays you have to run in order to score, the more likely you are going to get stopped. Passing the ball is almost twice as efficient as running it. Yes, it is also more risky, but teams are willing to take those risks because it has shown time and time again that it is worth it. We moved back toward running the ball, but it is never going to return to what it was. Passing is always going to be more important and more efficient. Hence, receivers get paid a lot more money. But let's not pretend like it is all receivers. You can get bargain receivers who can produce for you, but the bargain receivers still get paid a lot more than the bargain running backs. And they should. Passing is better than running.

Sure, which is why so many teams have gone to a committee approach. It takes less off of your starting back, but that also makes you less valuable to your team because you are doing less. It isn't complicated. The more you do, the more valuable you are to the team. Meanwhile, the rest of the offense is able to play close to 100% of snaps and only come off the field for different formations and personnel packages. Pretty much only running backs need breaks. Sometimes receivers if they run a bunch of long routes in a row.

It takes more talent to get open, create enough separation, and catch a pass than it does to grab a handoff and run for a few yards while having literally the rest of the offense besides the QB blocking to create space for you. Two way different skill sets. One of them is more rare. A lot of running backs can step in and get the production that is created for them from the oline and scheme. No matter what, a receiver is always going to have to create their own separation by running good routes, and they always have to be sure handed enough to make the catch. Scheme can help receivers, but they are mostly alone in what they have to do to get production.

Because the more you can do, the more valuable and harder to replace you become to your team. If they don't need to pay money and roster high quality 2nd and 3rd backs, or scheme around your inabilities, those resources can go elsewhere. And like I said, if you aren't able to handle the rigors of the position, there is a long line of talent willing to step in and take your job and prove that they can do it.

How is it not? You are running the ball through a gauntlet of large men trying to tackle you. It is a high contact, high volume position.

That's the nature of the position. There's nothing unethical about it. Durability is really important for a running back. If you can't do it, there is a line of young guys waiting to take your job.

Agreed, and it has been like this for awhile. The Bills have a great roster. The only thing we don't have is the one or two elite playmakers at key positions like receiver or pass rusher. I've always said that you need three elite difference makers to win a superbowl, and one of them has to be the QB. We have Josh Allen. Maybe Cook can get into that territory. Benford is an elite corner. But we really need an elite pass rusher.

Running backs have always been very important to offenses. That's not the issue. The issue is that there are so many running backs that can do it. The drop off from the really good ones to just average ones is not that significant. We rocked with Devin Singletary for years, and he is just a below average running back, but it was fine. You can operate your offense just fine with a guy like that. There are a thousand Devin Singletaries, and you can pay just a little bit more and have a pretty dynamic, above average back. There are tons of those guys too. So, it isn't that demand is low, it is that supply is high. You can find good running backs at any round in the draft. Bring in a cheap free agent and he can get you production. The offensive line is more important for rushing production anyway. And if your running back has a deficiency, that's not a big deal because you can bring in another RB who does that thing well and just have a committee approach. And the last issue is just the longevity. They break down extremely fast after 30. So, I'm sorry, but they don't deserve to get paid the big bucks like other positions do. A few of them are getting a little more money, but it isn't really moving the needle that much in the grand scheme of things.

I would never predict that. But I sure am hopeful!

Who is obsessing? Discussing the politics of the ranking is not obsessing. It is just a normal discussion. Or are people not allowed to talk about it?

Lamar Jackson is the NFL's sacred cow. Can't have him ranked lower than the MVP, haha.

Preseason tickets are cheap.