Inigo Montoya

Defensive coordinators have to pick their poison, either drop everyone back into coverage and give Allen time to pick them apart from the pocket, or rush Allen and try to force him into making a mistake or taking a sack all the while hoping he doesn't break containment and run for 30 yards. I honestly don't know what a defense can do. The guy is a unicorn. It's like Belichick said, Josh Allen is a problem.

I was looking at the Pat's cap situation next year and was shocked to see the contracts they handed out last year during their free agent spending spree. They're on the hook for huge salaries to Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor, and Kendrick Bourne. I don't see their offense getting much better even if Mac Jones takes a step forward next year with these guys catching balls for him. The numbers for those four players are crazy and the dead cap hit is going to make it tough to move on. Bourne is the only easy out in the group. 2022 Salary / Dead Cap Hit Hunter Henry $15m / $19m Nelson Agholor $14m / $14.8m Jonnu Smith $13m / $26m Kendrick Bourne $6.4m / $2.8m Pats top 4 pass catchers salary in '22; $48.4m Pats top 4 pass catchers dead cap hit in '22; $62.6m Those 4 pass catchers are 24% of the Pats total cap next year. I don't think any of those players would even start on our team. Hunter Henry might push Knox, but that's the only possibility and Knox is going to make $1.2m next year. The structure of these contracts are an albatross around the Pat's neck. The '23 contract hits aren't much better. BB has made some very questionable GM moves. It couldn't have happened to a nicer franchise. 2022 Cap stats; https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/cap/ 2023. Cap stats; https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/cap/2023/

I'm sure Daboll helped Josh a lot in the first couple of seasons but Josh is going to be entering his 5th year as a starting NFL QB. I think he can stand on his own. The truth is that Josh ends up making something out of nothing so often, it almost doesn't matter what play gets called because it usually ends up looking completely different. I think Josh is OC proof at this point.

Dear Coach Flores, Please accept this gift in the spirit it is offered. Your Friend, Inigo Montoya

I don't think this has anything to do with mental toughness. A running team can make some noise in the regular season and early playoff rounds but in most years it takes a team with an elite QB to win the Lombardi. Mac Jones has had a solid rookie campaign but he is obviously not an elite QB. The Pats could beat us this Saturday but I don't think anyone sees them as a Super Bowl contender. Hopefully this weekend the team with the better QB will win.

https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/57838/joe-schoen JOE SCHOEN, BUFFALO BILLS ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Bears requested an interview with Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen for the team's general manager vacancy. Chicago has now shown interest in current Texans GM Rick Smith, 49ers director of pro personnel Ran Carthon, Leslie Frazier, and Schoen. The latter's name was also linked to vacant roles with the Browns and Falcons over the last two seasons. One would imagine Schoen would simply bring Bills OC Brian Daboll along with him as Chicago's next head coach if hired.

I'm sure Chicago is hoping Daboll can pull a Josh Allen on Justin Fields.

Beasley is still a weapon for this offense. He is either a focus or an afterthought based on Daboll's game plan and I think that pisses him off. It's one of the reasons he left Dallas because he was being underutilized. There may be a game in this year's Super Bowl run where he catches 10 balls and is the X factor in the win.

Fair points all Hampton. The most famous color commentator of all time, Howard Cosell, wrote an autobiography entitled, "I never played the game". There can be some exceptions to the rule about ex-NFL types in the booth. I'd take Aunt Edna from National Lampoon's Vacation over Collinsworth again.

Collinsworth and Butt Fumble were terrible. I'm for expanding the universe of commentators beyond former NFL players if someone is knowledgeable and articulate.

Draft order this year as they stand now, subject to some change based on Week 18 results; 1. Jaguars 2. Lions 3. Texans 4. Jets 5. Giants 6. Panthers 7. Jets (from the Seahawks) 8. Giants (from the Bears) The Giants have the ammo to move up in the draft if they want to. They also have their high 2nd rounder, two 3rd rounders, and two 4th rounders. The Jags and Jets are out of the QB carousel for a few more years. If the Giants are going to grab a rookie QB again they are in position to do it this year. The question will be if the new regime wants to clear the decks for the rookie or keep Jones there as a bridge. The worry would be that Jones might play a lot better under a coach who knows what he is doing and then what do you do with your shiny new rookie QB? I think the Mara's will blow up the whole thing, GM, Coach, Jones, and start again.

If the Giants' new regime declines Daniel Jones' 5th year option and lets him walk he might be a good replacement for Trubisky if Mitch moves on.

That would definitely be a nice bonus for you.

Fair point Gunner. I could have been more precise with my choice of words.

Hey Gunner, Some sports stories have a political angle. No argument there. When those stories occur I want the facts of the situation from the reporter, what used to be know as "straight reporting" not proselytizing. Over the last several years it seems harder and harder for reporters to keep their personal views out of the story they are reporting on. They are not reporting so much as providing their own commentary on the situation. I read The Athletic for info on the Buffalo Bills, the Buffalo Sabres, the NFL as a whole, and fantasy football to a lesser extent. I have not found any stories in The Athletic that are presented with an overt bias or slant, even when covering stories where politics and sports merge. That's why I pay for a subscription. I really think it's the best sports journalism out there. I hope that doesn't change.

Hey buffalonian, By "crap" I mean politics. When I'm reading a sports article I don't want politics in it. I'm a news junkie, I've always been interested in politics and I'm a consumer of lots of political info from all sides of the political spectrum. ( I really recommend a website called Realclearpolitics.com which is a clearing house for news articles and it always provides both sides of every issue / argument so you can read both and make up your own mind) When I need an escape from that world I turn to sports. I think the Athletic is fantastic sports journalism and I don't want it tainted by an organization that might see it as another avenue to push a political agenda. I hope it doesn't happen.

1.) I'm a subscriber of The Athletic. 2.) I think it's fantastic. 3.) I will never subscribe to the NY Times. 4.) If the NY Times tries to insert any of its crap into The Athletic, I'm gone.

I don't like them, but I could see Diggs rolling in a white G Wagon.

I agree. The Troll in this thread makes a big deal about the $40 a year contract Josh got. In three years, scrub QBs are going to be getting $50+ a year with the cap exploding from the new TV contract and new gambling money that is going to start flooding into the the NFL. Josh's contract is going to give the Bills years of competitive advantage over any team that has to ink their QBs to a new contract after this year. When Murray, Herbert, and Burrow resign they will be averaging $50 - $55 million a year.

Definitely could happen that way. With the cap expected to go up $20 - 30 million dollars in 2023, and likely as much if not more the following year, the Ravens and Browns might wait themselves into a $50 -55 million a year contract. The Cowboys dragged their feet with Dak and lost that roll of the dice. The Ravens and Browns might do the same.

When Beane extended Josh last year it was the expectation that Jackson and Mayfield would also get an extension done before the start of the regular season. That never happened and now those two franchises find themselves with a bit of a dilemma. Despite being voted to the Pro Bowl again (and Jackson's team will beat that drum despite the fact he clearly doesn't deserve it), Jackson has had a down year in almost every category and has not been available due to injury for part of the second half of the season. He hasn't played well enough to get a contract that is more lucrative than Allen's, but that is what they are going to be asking for and it will be tough for the Ravens as an organization to pay him less. Baker has had a terrible season and is also down in almost every meaningful statistical category despite being on a team loaded with talent and behind one of the best O-Lines in the NFL. No NFL QB has had more interceptions than Baker has in the last four years. He has evolved into a serviceable game managing QB. In fairness, he has dealt with a non-throwing shoulder injury that muddies the water this year a bit. Here are how the 3 QBs line up statistically this year through Week 17; Josh Allen 2021 Games Played; 16 Completions; 385 Passing Yards; 4,168 Comp %; 64.1 Passing TD's; 34 INT's; 15 Rushing Yards; 700 Average Per Rush; 6 yards Rushing TD's; 6 Rushing 1st Downs; 51 Lamar Jackson 2021 - Pro Bowl Games Played; 13 full games (knocked out early in game 14) Completions; 246 Passing Yards; 2,882 Comp %; 64.4 Passing TD's; 16 INT's; 13 Rushing Yards; 767 Average Per Rush; 5.8 yards Rushing TD's; 2 Rushing 1st Downs; 48 Baker Mayfield 2021 Games Played; 15 Completions; 237 Passing Yards; 2,825 Comp %; 62.4 Passing TD's; 15 INT's; 11 Rushing Yards; 118 Average Per Rush; 3.4 yards Rushing TD's; 1 Rushing 1st Downs; 10 Looking at those stats and watching the arc of their careers, while Josh isn't putting up numbers as spectacular as last year, I think he has proven that the 2020 season was not an anomaly. He is one of the top five QBs in the NFL by any measuring stick. Lamar and Baker on the other hand have had a year of inconsistency where they have played worse than last year and both teams are unlikely to make the playoffs. The fact that neither franchise locked down Lamar and Baker before this season means that the organizations harbor some doubt about them and wasn't willing to commit long term no matter what they say publicly. They kicked the can down the road a year and the question is now what do they do with the 2021 season in the bag? 1.) Do they make them play out their 5th year options and see how they do before coming to the table? 2.) Do they play hardball and negotiate a contract less than what Allen got even though the cap is about to explode? 3.) Do they go after a free agent QB and move on? 4.) Do they give them a contract on par or better than Allen's because the other options are unpalatable for various reasons? 5.) Do they draft a QB and start over (slim pickings this year, especially at their likely draft spot)? I think Lamar clearly has a stronger hand to play than Baker. Both franchises are in a corner here. The best thing for the Bills is for both franchises to overpay for their QB. It's going to be one of the best storylines of the off season this year. I've got my popcorn ready. I'm so glad the Bills aren't in that boat.

I look forward to this write up and Virgil’s every week. It’s a TBD cornerstone. If it’s not your thing, that’s ok, just don’t read it and move along. I don’t run into a fondue restaurant berating the diners there about how bad fondue restaurants are. People do their thing and I do mine. Comity.

You're right. I forgot McKenzie is on a one year deal. There are still some savings to be had there if Beane can get McKenzie on a 2-3 year deal around $2.5 -3 million a year. Some of you contract gurus out there will have to chime in if that kind of contract seems reasonable.

Even with the cap going up next year the Bills are only projected to have $9.5 million in cap space in 2022. I think the development of McKenzie and Harrison Phillips have put Beasley's and Star's roster spot in jeopardy. Releasing Beasley and Star this offseason will free up over $10 million in cap space, more than doubling what the Bills are projected to have right now. If you look at the Bills cap space / roster next year there isn't a whole lot of fat to trim. Outside of restructuring deals to make space, I think releasing Beasley and Star are the two places where some real savings can be had. Beane having $20 million in his pocket to spend next year should give him a lot of flexibility. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/cap/2022/ Mckenzie in - Beasley out 2022 Beasley Salary- $7.6 million Dead Cap Hit- $1.5 million The way McKenzie stepped up in the Miami game last year and then again this week, I don't think we lose that much letting Beasley go. If McKenzie can produce again next week versus the Falcons, I think it will be a done deal. Beasley is going to get paid by someone, and deservedly so, but we have a servicable, inexpensive replacement already on the roster. More importantly, we have a QB who elevates the play of any WR on the field. I'm a huge Beasley fan, the guy is a helluva football player, but I think he ends up being traded or released to free up money. Phillips in - Star out 2022 Star Salary- $9.35 million Dead Cap Hit- $5.2 million Horrible Harry is coming on strong, and honestly, I think Star just looks like he's finished to me. I'm not sure what his personal issues were this week, and I wish him the best, but I think Harrison Phillips can take his spot and Ankou has flashed a bit as well. The Bills can try to find a cheaper run stuffing big guy out there in the draft or free agency. This is another move I'd be shocked if it doesn't happen.

I would also like to add to the list of burning questions to be answered this Sunday; * Will Spencer Brown taunt a Patriots player to the point of tears? * Will Mac Jones get up after a scramble and triumphantly signal "First Down!" three yards short of the marker? * Will Bill Belichick's son make more goofy faces on the sideline?