Inigo Montoya

Gabe Davis has been going to work everyday sitting in WR rooms learning from Stephon Diggs, John Brown, Cole Beasley, and Emmanuel Sanders. Brian Daboll is his OC. He has Josh Allen slinging him the rock. There isn't a young WR in the NFL in a better situation than he is.

There are going to be three or four players off this roster that Beane trades or cuts who end up starting on other teams this season. The Bear's commentators mentioned it during the preseason telecast, teams are going to be circling the Bills cut downs to grab players this year. Kudos to Beane for putting together such a great roster.

Fitz should get a bust in the HOF when he retires. There are many ways to quantify football greatness, not all of them have to do with numbers.

Watching Bills training camp on NFL Network right now, 10:16 EST.

She's part of the family now. Welcome to Bills' Mafia Cynthia! 👩‍💻

I agree that this is the year for someone to step up and make some noise on the D-line. We have Oliver, Obada, Epenesa, Basham, and Rousseau. If just one of those five can round into a dominant pass rusher then this Bills' roster is complete.

https://theathletic.com/2747220/2021/08/04/ranking-every-nfl-defense-from-1-to-32-going-into-the-2021-season/ This article came out 4 days ago in The Athletic. The Athletic is a subscription service that I think is the best in the business and the only content I pay for except for the Buffalo News online service. They believe the Bills' defense is going to make a jump this year and return more to form with previous seasons; 7. Buffalo Bills Last season: 12th There’s reason to believe the Bills can take a step forward from where they were last year. Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier have a knack for maximizing the talent available to them. Last year, linebacker Matt Milano played just 31 percent of the snaps because of injury, and defensive tackle Star Lotulelei opted out. Both players are back in 2021. Buffalo has spent four first- or second-round picks on defensive linemen in the past three years. Between Ed Oliver, A.J. Epenesa, Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham, they’ve given themselves options up front. And Buffalo finished second in pass rush win rate last season. From a scheme perspective, the Bills are going to be zone-heavy and play a lot of Cover-3 (a three-deep zone with four underneath defenders) and Cover-4 (a four-deep zone with three underneath defenders). They need to figure out the corner spot opposite Tre’Davious White but have strong safeties in Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. Among the 12 Bills defensive players who logged at least 400 snaps last year, 11 are back. Overall, this a well-coached group that has upside if some young players emerge. The Bills' offense averaged 29.9 points per game last year, 3rd best in the league. The defense allowed 23.3 points per game on average which was 16th best in the NFL. Even if the Bills' offense take a small step backwards this season from their sensational 2020 campaign, if the defense can regain some of their swag I think it will end up being a net positive for the team overall. One of the things I'm most interested to see is how our defense matches up against the Patriots this year. Belichick looks like he is trying to recreate his 2011 offense that featured Gronk and Aaron Hernandez by bringing in Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. They can both catch and they're solid blockers so it will be hard to read whether they are setting up to run or pass. The Pats also have a great O-line and enter the season with a consensus top 5 unit. We should continue to see them field a run heavy offense this season. They'll likely spend most of their offensive snaps in 12 personnel, 1 RB, 2 TE, and 2 WR. This should help mask the Pats' weakness at WR. If the Bills bring in more heavies to stop the run they can audible at the line and switch to a passing play targeting either or both of their releasing TEs, and vice versa if the Bills bring in more DBs. One of the Bills' big weaknesses on defense the last few years has been stopping the run. The Bills have followed the NFL trend of fielding lighter and faster LBs that can drop into coverage and get into passing lanes at the expense of fielding more traditional run stopping thumpers. Staying in 12 personnel on most snaps should help Newton and Mac Jones too. They can make an easy pre-snap read on what defense the Bills have out there and only throw against the heavier run stopping defensive fronts increasing the likelihood of an easy completion. It should be an interesting chess match between Belichick and McDermott / Frazier this season. As The Athletic article notes above, hopefully the return of Star will clog up the middle of the line and provide a boost to our run defense and a healthy Milano (fingers crossed) will be a difference maker against the run and in the coverage of Henry and Smith. It's usually nice to catch the Pats early in the season because they typically get off to a slow start. This year we won't face them until Week 12, but that should give McDermott and Frazier plenty of film to study on the Pats' new offense. It's anyone's guess who will be their QB by that time. The Pats have a late bye week this season, Week 13 right after we play them, so that shouldn't factor into a QB change prior to the Bills playing them. If our defense can regain some of their form and our offense can stand pat, or only take a small step backwards in efficiency, the Bills' are going to be even more scary in 2021 than they were last season.

I've spent a lot of time over the last 24 hours skulking around the message boards of the Jets, Browns, Ravens, and Pats reading what they thought about the extension. There were a few who thought it was a good signing, but the overwhelming majority believed it was a terrible decision by the Bills. The opinion repeated over and over on those boards was that Allen only played one good season and he really isn't as good as he played last year. There are two reasons why I believe Josh Allen isn't a "one hit wonder". I think they are probably the same reasons why the Pegulas and McBeane felt comfortable hitching the future of this franchise to Josh Allen yesterday. The first reason is that last year's "break out" season for Josh Allen, while surprising to many in the League, was not as surprising to those of us who have watched every snap of Josh Allen's career. Josh has always suffered from what I consider lazy journalism in the national sports media. No one really watched his games, they just looked at the box scores and focused on Josh's early Hero Ball moments and that became the Josh Allen narrative. It's the same narrative that these other fan bases have heard repeatedly and now believe. The critics and pundits looked at Josh's rookie year stats and the Bills missing the playoffs and saw a horrible season for Josh, just like they predicted. Those of us who actually watched the games know the only reason the BIlls managed to win any games that year was because Josh put that terrible offense on his back and willed them to win. He was the entire offense that year. During Josh's second season those same pundits saw the BIlls lose the Houston Wild Card game and looked at Josh's season stats and walked away thinking Josh was still a bust. He had a completion percentage below 60% and you couldn't be a franchise QB if you weren't accurate or played Hero Ball all the time. Those of us who actually watched the games saw Josh improve in every single facet of his game that season. Not only did his numbers improve, but we discovered that Josh was clutch. Third and longs weren't automatic punts anymore. Down a score in the 4th Quarter? No worries... just give the ball back to Josh and he is going to find a way to score. He had the most game winning drives in the League that year. We saw that Josh had that "it factor" that all the greats possess. Fast forward to last season when Josh blew up and had his breakout season. Those of us who watched Josh closely thought a season like that was definitely possible where most everyone else still thought that Josh Allen was a bust. That's why even today people say that it was Stefon Diggs that made Josh last year, or that the entire season was just a fluke. I disagree. The 2020 season was a huge leap forward for Josh Allen, no argument from me, but it didn't come out of nowhere. It was the culmination of the previous two seasons where Josh kept getting better and better. The reason it caught NFL pundits by surprise is because they just weren't paying attention to Josh before. Last season wasn't a "one hit wonder" for Josh, it was just the next step in the development of a naturally gifted QB who was determined to be the best. The second reason why I don't think last year was a "one hit wonder" season for Josh is that he has the character traits a person needs to be very successful. He has a great work ethic, he is mature, and he is mentally tough. That's a powerful combination in someone who is determined to be the best. Josh grew up a farm kid, and like most farm kids, he learned at an early age how to work hard. He has continued to work every off season to improve his game. Is there anyone on TBD who thinks that if Josh Allen wins the Super Bowl this year that he won't be right back to work next off season trying to improve his game even more? He has the work ethic to become great. I don't think he is the type of person who will ever rest on his laurels or feel like he has finally "arrived". Josh's maturity makes him incredibly even keeled. He doesn't allow the game to get him too high or too low. He is the same person in every post game press conference. They can win by 20 and the first thing he talks about is that he could have played better. They can lose by 20 and he takes all the blame on his shoulders, even is he wasn't the reason the team lost. Have you ever seen a Baker Mayfield press conference after a loss? He sits there and sulks like a 12 year old who just got grounded. If you're going to be an NFL franchise QB, you'd better have the maturity to roll with the punches and manage the ups and downs that are going to come your way. I think Josh has that. The last important trait Josh has is mental toughness. We all know Josh's JUCO story by now and I'm not going to rehash it. It's obvious that Josh has always been behind the 8 ball leading up to his NFL career. Even when he was finally considered a top NFL QB prospect coming out of Wyoming, he endured a level of scorn and ridicule that I just don't remember any other QB prospect receiving. It only got worse after the Draft. The criticism from pundits and the media was nasty, unrelenting, and personal. It was so bad that I actually felt bad for Josh's parents. In the face of that mountain of negative pressure Josh never blinked. He didn't crumble under the ridicule, he shut out the noise and kept grinding. The NFL and the media weren't too big for him. He has shown that he can manage the mental rigors of being a franchise QB. He's not going to crumble like Wentz did. That's why I think last year wasn't just a "one hit wonder". Josh is going to continue to improve like he has each season he has played. He isn't going to suddenly become lazy and soft and complacent. If Josh can stay healthy and Beane continues to put a reasonable roster around him, I'd be shocked if Josh Allen and the Bills don't win a Super Bowl in the next three years. I don't think this contract is a mistake, I think it is a harbinger of great things to come.

This extension kicks in after the next two seasons are finished, meaning Allen is still playing under his year four rookie contract terms this year, and the terms of the 5th year option next year. The total compensation for Allen over the next 8 years is $288 million, or an average of $36 million a year. If I had predicted at the end of last season that the Bills were going to lock up Josh Allen for the next 8 years at an average of $36 million a year, I would have been ridiculed. Nice work Beane!

The governor could use some good news. Meeting with Terry and Kim to work on a stadium might bolster his support in WNY. There’s not a politician in this country above handing out other people’s money to buy some friends when their back is up against the wall. That’s how the game is played. If daycare is infrastructure, surely a football stadium is too.... 🤔

Alex Van Pelt was a fantastic hire for the Browns, no argument there. I think he does deserve a lot of credit for the improved play of Baker last year. The fact remains that Van Pelt is someone the team brought in to help Baker. Baker didn't spend a month of his off season working with his own QB coach doing everything he could to get better like Allen did again this off season. There's an article in the Buffalo News today that said Allen spent the last 28 days before the start of training camp in California working with Jordan Palmer on his game. I'd be curious to know what Baker Mayfield was doing during that time. Josh Allen has an internal drive to constantly get better. Baker Mayfield showed up as a rookie and thought he had already arrived, as evidenced by the quote I cited in the OP. It's just a different mindset that the two QBs have, and I think that mindset helps Allen and hurts Mayfield. 🍻

Tyler Bass opened camp strong yesterday going 5 for 5 on field goals including a 48 yarder. Bass had a strong rookie season finishing 10th in the NFL among kickers in extra point percentage at 95.38%. He finished tied for 10th in the NFL in field goal completion percentage a 82.4%. He was 4 of 6 on field goals beyond 50 yards and had a season long 58 yarder. He did all this while playing in what is likely the most difficult kicking venue in the entire League. He showed he has the leg to make attempts beyond 60 yards and I don't think the BIlls would hesitate to run him out there for a 60+ yarder if the game script was right. He has a howitzer of a leg. He can boom the ball out of the endzone on kickoffs everytime if that's what the coach wants, negating an opposing teams kick return game if needed. He has earned the confidence of the coaching staff as a rookie kicker. No small feat. He was also money in the playoffs when the pressure was greatest. In the Colts game he was 2 for 2 with field goals of 46 and 54 yards, and 3 for 3 on extra points. In the Ravens' Divisional Hurricane Bowl he was 1 for 3 on field goals, the same as Justin Tucker, and 2 of 2 on extra points. In the AFC Championship game he was 4 for 4 on field goals including two 51 yarders, but did have a rare extra point miss on his only attempt. Looking back on last year's playoff run, it's clear the moment wasn't too big for Bass when he was called on to make the most important kicks of the season. In a draft class that is full of potential with Gabe Davis, A.J. Epenesa, Zack Moss and Dane Jackson, we might look back years from now and find that the Bills' 6th round selection; Tyler Bass, Kicker, Georgia Southern -- was the best pick of the Bills' draft class. I'm not ready to say the Bills have found their Justin Tucker just yet, but it sure looks promising. An accurate and reliable kicker is absolutely essential for an NFL franchise to have sustained success. Let's hope that Beane has finally found that kicker for the Bills over the next decade in Tyler Bass.

Can you imagine the narrative if Allen threw a Super Bowl losing interception at the goal line?

I think Allen belongs in the 1st Tier, but if someone wants to make the argument that he's had a single great season and needs to do it again before he is considered elite, I can understand that line of thinking. Personally, I don't think last year was lightning in a bottle for Josh, I think it was the first gusts of a hurricane.

https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/edge/football/nfl/teams/nyj/new-york-jets Only Jets player missing. Hasn't signed contract yet. Can't say I'm upset... J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS!

I agree with all of you and the other posters who share this opinion. It's a combination of all of these talented people coming together and making each other better. Diggs is a special talent and my OP is not meant to diminish how great Diggs was last year. My OP was to point out that for many the narrative is that Josh Allen is good because others made him good. Allen was a nobody until Diggs arrived. I don't buy that at all. No one seems to acknowledge that Allen elevated John Brown, and then Beasley, and then Diggs, leading all of them to career years. What was the common denominator for those three receivers? The guy who was throwing them the ball. That is the missing narrative out there. To circle back to the original Lamar vs Allen debate, does Lamar look better with Diggs in a Ravens uniform? Probably. Does Diggs finish first in the League in receptions and receiving yards with Lamar throwing him the ball? Not a chance in hell.

I was watching this video on YouTube, the latest installment in the Lamar vs Josh debate. It's a Ravens' fans channel and the two guys debate a 49ers fan who believes Allen is the better QB. The actual debate starts at the 9 minute mark if you're interested. It doesn't take very long for everyone's favorite Lamar excuse to come up, if only Lamar had Stefon Diggs... How many times have you heard it in the media, if only Lamar had Diggs? What these Ravens' fans and media pundits don't get is that you can just as easily say that without Josh Allen, Diggs is not an elite WR in 2020. It's obvious that Allen and Diggs both benefited from having the other on the field, you just never hear people talk about how Allen lifted up Diggs, it's always the other way around. Let's look at some Stefon Diggs' career stats. Average Catch Percentage 5 seasons in Minn; 68.4% 1 season in Buff; 76.5% What can possibly explain this 8.1% jump in Diggs' catch percentage over his career average? Did he suddenly develop better hands? Or could it be that Allen was putting the ball right where Diggs needed it to be? I don't remember a lot of circus catches from Diggs last season. Allen just made great throws that gave Diggs a chance to make the catch. Diggs would make his break and the ball was there. Seems like Diggs really benefitted from a lot of accurate passes last year. Receptions NFL Rank 2015; 52 #61 2016; 84 #16 2017; 64 #30 2018; 102 #11 2019; 63 #43 2020: 127 #1 Diggs was not a perennial hundred reception receiver. He broke 100 catches one season and never came close the other four. His total of 127 receptions obliterates his best season in 2018. Diggs must have had a QB who trusted him and fed him the ball constantly. He had a QB who fed him the ball so much that Diggs finished first in receptions. The competition wasn't even close, Diggs beat Davante Adams and DeAndre Hopkins by a dozen receptions each. Rec Yardage NFL Rank 2015; 720 #52 2016; 903 #34 2017; 849 #25 2018; 1,021 #20 2019; 1,131 #17 2020; 1,535 #1 Same thing here. Look at that jump with Allen throwing Diggs the ball. He surpassed his best season in yardage by over 400 yards with Allen, and had finished no higher than 17th in receiving yards before playing with Josh Allen. People also seem to forget that Beasley had a career year last year with Allen throwing him the ball. After nine seasons in the League, Beasley set career highs in completions and receiving yards. Maybe it was Diggs throwing Beasley the ball. I've yet to hear one pundit say that Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley were the beneficiaries of the best quarterback play of their careers. It's always the other way around, Diggs and Beasley made Allen. It's a lazy opinion. After a combined 15 years in the League, both Diggs and Beasley had career years in 2020. Did Diggs and Beasley help Allen? Absolutely. But not as much as Josh Allen helped them.

There's a new article in The Athletic that details the high tech equipment Palmer is using to help his QB clients improve their biomechanics. The Athletic is a subscription service that I highly recommend. As an out of towner the only subscriptions I pay for are the Buffalo News and The Athletic. "Josh Allen is firing one perfect pass after another to a trio of receivers some 25 yards downfield. As the Bills star hones his mechanics, a few feet away private QB coach Jordan Palmer observes every little maneuver while two other young NFL quarterbacks loosen up. On the sideline there is almost a quarter-million dollars’ worth of high-tech equipment that is another part of Palmer’s unique quarterback ecosystem." https://theathletic.com/2719015/2021/07/23/this-technology-could-give-bills-qb-josh-allen-and-bengals-qb-joe-burrow-a-big-boost-in-their-nfl-careers/?source=freedailyemail As a Bills fan it's gratifying to see Josh continue to work hard to improve. How many QBs who finish second in the league MVP voting spend a portion of their next off season continuing to work with a private QB coach? It's this commitment to be the best and the work ethic to make it happen that gives me hope for the Buffalo Bills going forward. Contrast this with Baker Mayfields' attitude. Remember the end of season press conference in 2019 when asked by the press if he was going to hire a private QB tutor after his lackluster sophomore season, he answered that he wouldn't; “I do not need somebody to teach me how to do a three-step drop,” Mayfield said. “I can look at film and be critical of myself." https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/12/27/baker-mayfield-says-hell-be-working-hard-this-offseason-but-not-with-a-qb-tutor/ Baker has real talent and played great last year in his new system, but I think his ceiling is limited by his hubris. I think we've seen Mayfields' best ball already. I don't think that's the case with Josh Allen.

Fair point. The announcement followed a three year stadium feasibility study the Pegulas had commissioned. It looks like the study concluded that an open roofed stadium in OP was the best option and the Pegulas have agreed with it. I don't think Kim and Terry would spend more money on the concept if they hadn't already made up their minds. For what it's worth, here's a link on a short article about it. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/football/nfl/bills/2021/06/19/report-states-buffalo-bills-build-new-stadium-orchard-park/7753860002/ Having said that, your point still stands, it's not official yet. 🍻 I actually though about throwing TE's and Ertz in there but that would give me 11 storylines, and who's ever heard of a Top 11 list? 😉

It's been a long off season and the anticipation for the upcoming season where the Bills are legitimate Super Bowl contenders for the first time in 20+ years is building. I listed the top 10 off season developments that affected our Bills in no particular order below. Training camp starts in 12 days and the Bills kick off at Highmark stadium against the Steelers in just 59 days. Let's hope this is finally the year the Lombardi comes home to Buffalo. 1. We kept the coaching staff together. I had little hope both Frazier and Daboll would be back for the 21-22 season. Daboll in particular looked like a lock for the Chargers' gig. Another year of scheme stability for the Bills is huge. The recent promotion of Ken Dorsey to Passing Game Coordinator, hopefully with a nice pay raise, was a smart way for Beane and Co. to reward Dorsey for a job well done and to set him up to move into the OC roll if Daboll finally gets his shot after this season. 2. We kept the roster intact. Edmunds got his 5th year option picked up. The sole big loss on offense was John Brown but Beane replaced him with Emmanuel Sanders. I loved Brown and wish him all the best, but sliding Sanders in there has the possibility to be an upgrade at the position. Beane managed to resign Feliciano, D. Williams, and Milano. I didn't think that would be possible with the cap restraints. Let's hope that McBeane's strategy of keeping the band together for another year will pay dividends. The only loss that gives me pause was BoJo. He had a shank every now and then but had really become a boomer routinely knocking 60+ yard punts to flip the field. I know you can't keep everyone and it looks like BoJo just drew the short straw. 3. Training camp will be in Orchard Park this year. I think this is a big plus. It might be bad for marketing, but having easy access to the Bills' new state of the art training and rehab facilities should be beneficial for the health of the team coming out of training camp. 4. The competition for a starting spot on the O-Line is going to be stout in camp, but nothing like the battle to land a spot on the D-Line. The Bills spent their first two draft picks on pass rushers and suddenly there are people we thought would be back this season who are going to be on the outside looking in. Do the Bills decide to keep an extra D-Lineman on the roster? If so, where do they find a roster spot? I don't see us keeping a third QB on the roster this season. 5. The long debate is over. It looks like Terry and Kim have finally decided to build a new open air stadium in Orchard Park. It was a decision that cheers those who love to tailgate and disappoints those who wanted a downtown Buffalo location. I didn't have a preference for OP or downtown Buffalo, but hoped it would be a domed stadium to help our passing game. Let's hope the architects can position and design the new stadium in a manner to limit the crazy winds down at field level. That should be doable... right? 6. The Bills brought in Matt Breida to provide a speed element to the running game but did not do much else on paper to address the running game that was lackluster at times. It looks like Beane is counting on O-Line continuity and better play up front to make a difference. The Bills offense did score 501 points last season, second only to GB with 509, so it's hard to be too critical of the offense, but I think many were expecting more moves addressing the run game. 7. The Chiefs and Browns had good off seasons too and didn't suffer a talent exodus following their successful campaigns last year. It's way too early to say whether the Bills, Chiefs, or Browns had the best off season, but for people hoping the Chiefs and Browns might take a step backwards this season, I think they are going to be disappointed. The AFC is going to be a donnybrook this year. If the Bills can stay healthy, I like our chances. 8. Cole Beasley may end up missing significant time this season if he isn't willing to follow League COVID guidelines. I'm not here to argue right or wrong, just the significant impact his absence would have on the Bills' offense. He is an integral part of the offense and would have caught 100 balls last season if not for his late season injury. He routinely moves the sticks and is Josh's security blanket. Let's hope this situation gets figured out because losing Beasley would be a huge blow to the offense during what should be a Super Bowl run. 9. The landscape of the AFCE underwent some huge changes this off season with a new regime in place for the Jets and new rookie QBs for the Jets and Pats. The Jets and Phins also had a bushel of draft picks this year and have been at work overhauling their rosters with young talent. The Phins could have drafted one of the blue chip QBs in this year's draft but decided to roll the dice with Tua. The Pats went out and spent money like drunken sailors in free agency and bolstered their roster on both sides of the ball. Time will tell how successful these moves are, but there is no doubt that the AFCE is now a completely different division than it was just two seasons ago when Brady was still under center in New England. 10. Lastly, no extension for Josh...yet. It's coming and I hope that Beane follows the same strategy he had with Tre' White and signs Josh first, before Mayfield and Jackson get their deals done. Each contract seems to be bigger and it would be best to get Josh locked down first. I don't think we've seen the best of Josh Allen yet and I hope Beane locks him up for as many seasons as Allen will agree to.

Today there is human slavery in Africa and the Middle East. There are concentration camps in China. Drug cartels control governments in Mexico and Central America. In Russia, Europe, and Canada you can be imprisoned for speaking your mind. Happy 4th of July TBD God Bless America

You deliberately take things out of context and argue just to argue. You are the first poster in over 3 years on this website that I've decided to block. You're not worth the aggravation. Cheers

The post I was responding to said "Vaccination is a broader public health issue that goes beyond the individual." Thank you for your contribution.

Hey Capco, I can't think of anything more personal than what you allow someone else to put into your body. Cole Beasley should have no say in what you choose to put in your body and you should have a say in what Cole puts in his. Ultimately, that how I see it. I agree with you that vaccinations are a public health issue, but I don't believe that a public health concern trumps your right as an individual to say what happens to your body. Remember that in this particular instance, we are talking about a vaccine being used under an emergency use authorization. The usual process to get FDA approval for a vaccine takes over a decade. I looked at the data as we understand it today, and decided that getting the vaccine was the right choice for me. It's not my place or the government's place to force this vaccine on someone who doesn't want it. We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. 🍻

There are people for and against getting the vaccine who are perfectly reasonable. Neither side is objectively correct. It is a subjective decision people make as individuals about whether or not to get the vaccine. Let people do their own thing and give them the benefit of the doubt that they might know what is best for them better than you do. I personally took the vaccine. I'm over 50 and I work in the ER. I'm in a high risk environment almost daily. If someone else chooses against the vaccine, that's their choice. It has no bearing on me, I'm vaccinated and protected. Agree with Cole or disagree with Cole, but it's his choice not to get the vaccine just like it was my choice to get the vaccine. People need to be civil and not attack someone for coming to a deferent decision about this highly subjective and personal issue.