WideNine

In a perfect world yes, but in real life things happen between the whistles that most fans don't see, and refs rarely catch or call. There is another world of rules where players police themselves, where dirty or dangerous plays are corrected and not by the refs. You ask most coaches and they look for players that have a bit of nasty in them to defend themselves and others on the team. You may not need a whole line like that, but you have to have a few. Think of the NHL, where there is always that guy who can keep the other team from targeting your franchise players. Did you notice how many of our receivers were coming off the field during the Detroit game because they had been gouged in the eyes accidentally.... over and over. This happens in football, the refs do not protect everybody out there, what does is the knowledge that most teams will find a way to police the behavior. Obviously, Turley took it to a whole new visible level, but I want our guys defending our guys between the whistles and everywhere else.

You can't see it from that clip, but on that play Robinson was behind Brooks and had his facemask and was yanking him off the ground with his neck twisted to the side - literally trying to break his neck. I have no qualms with what Turley did and I can just about guarantee that Robinson did not pull a stunt like that again... Not looking for cheap, but if the refs are not going to defend Allen during a game, I want to see our players step up. Rather see that, than Allen in traction waiting for the NFL to levy a fine later that week that amount to peanuts that more than a few dirty players are willing to pay.

Glad us fish in the bowl can be so entertaining to the enlightened. I am not repressing anything I will have you know... I have genuine, transparent, open, and obvious fear that if Allen does not make it as a Bills QB the team will go another decade in obscure rebuilding and front office turnover. As for projecting or investing emotion onto a team or player, fans do it all the time for a variety of reasons - most of those reasons are not that terrible. Gugny is in a league of his own when it comes to lighting a fire and watching Rome burn.

OurBackupsCanBeatYours... ok, I suck at this.

Last week's tilt against the Jets and all the cheap shots they took on Allen got me thinking about the kind of offensive line players I want the Bills to target. I don't care if it is through FA or the draft or both, but obviously we want the blocking skills, but I also want some nasty sprinkled along that line willing to defend their QB. Maybe it was because it was the Jets, but it had me remembering Kyle Turley's helmet throw incident when the Jets safety was trying to rip Turley's QB's head off his shoulders after they stopped him on a keeper (Aaron Brooks was the Saints QB). Loved how Turley dove on the Jets player and would not be denied till he ripped his helmet off and chucked it. I know it was penalties galore, I know it was not the smart or sane thing to do, but it was also a glorious moment of defending your QB from a dangerous and cheap stunt by the Jets . For the youngsters on the Wall this was probably before your time (Protecting your QB 101):

Since this string has so many QB draft confessions, figured I would add mine. I really did not favor Allen in the draft, in fact I was pretty pessimistic about all the 1st round QB's and could think of ways they could all fail miserably wearing a Bills uniform. Years of watching the Bills being mediocre at this position did not leave much hope in the tank. Keep in mind, these were just my impressions of the projected 1st round QBs. Mayfield - you had this cocky attitude and off field antics that I thought could be a sign he would go down the Johnny football route and would not play well with the Western NY crowd. A little less accurate on throws, but a baller and competitor. A bit shorter, but can hit all those short and intermediate routes, sees the field, and extends plays so perhaps that is why he reminded me a bit of a Brees/Flutie hybrid. Rosen - I saw this laid-back California attitude in interviews that made one question his fire and passion for the game (not saying it was justified), but I did not see that playing well for our blue collar variety of football or fans, I thought he was sharp, threw a good ball, but I saw times when he held the ball too long and did not sense the pressure in the pocket which could lead to bad things/injuries. Darnold - I thought he was probably the best of the bunch as for being NFL ready, feeling the rush and creating time in the pocket, hitting most of the throws you would ask him to, and threading passes into tight places. Allen - I thought he would translate best in terms of locker room, attitude, and the Western NY market. I thought folks would not mind getting behind a kid who did not get offers from D1 schools - clawed his way up from JUCO - finally got a shot with tiny Wyoming to being drafted in the 1st round for the NFL. I never watched a single Wyoming game and going by the surface reports I felt it was a huge risk to take him because early reports from those that make a living evaluating college players had me thinking this guy was a cannon with a bent barrel. Jackson - Intriguing prospect, felt he was the best of the bunch as far as using his legs to extend plays. Did not think he had very good mechanics as far as standing in a pocket and delivering strikes, but from other clips I watched he seemed more than accurate enough and comfortable throwing on the move. I felt we could have some success with him behind center and that we would need a mobile QB because I was pretty sure our o-line was going to be pretty bad this year. Rudolph and the other guys whose names I really did not note, I figured would go later so I did not focus on them at all. The gist of this is that I am not trying to justify some pre-draft idea that I supported or hated Allen, he was an unknown commodity with plenty of documented risks. Now he is a Buffalo Bill and I will root for him to succeed because he has shown me flashes that he could be the QB this team has been looking for, when given time he has been surprisingly accurate, seems to be coachable as anyone watching his games week by week can see (if they are open to seeing progress), displays incredible leadership from the position that I would not expect from a rookie, is passionate about football - his team - and winning, and as long as I see him leaving it all on the field and progressing he's the right QB for the Bills.

Not sure about Fant, been injured a few times, has had a few drops, and lost a lot of reps to T. J. Hockenson down the stretch...who some consider a better all-around blocker and receiver. Draft is pretty deep with good TE prospects - if OBD does their homework they can come away with a good one.

I would keep McKenzie over Zay...providing he's ok. Any word on his injury? Less dancing around behind an o-line that cannot sustain blocks for too long. Ford and the smurf both would plant their foot and accelerate as soon as there was a seam and take what they could get.

That fat guy keeps out racing linebackers and safeties... but if he keeps eating Popeye's chicken he will really have to become a pure pocket passer. For now, I think he is burning off those extra calories. I think they had Milano on the phone so he could virtually bring it in with the rest of the team.

Factor in the drops, his lack of protection with the loss of Cordy Glenn (I know they thought Dawkins was ready), Richie's quasi-retirement crazy business, and Wood forced to retire at center, then injuries to the best of the worst offensive linemen they decided to go with out of training camp forcing the worse of the not-so-great o-line guys into the lineup. Shady hits 30 and literally cannot stay on the field, and when on the field he is 3 yards and a cloud of dust before getting injured each game, now on our 4th string RB behind a line that struggles to move defenders (I thought they did a little better today)... KB the stone-handed slug and a slew of lack-luster receivers incapable of getting separation or catching the ball when it hits them in the hands, forcing the coaching to jettison them and to pull from practice squad players to find guys to could stretch the field and catch a pass. I feel like Josh has pulled up those stats largely carrying the team on his back - a lot to ask a rookie. That being said, this has been a really interesting year with all the fresh QB blood. Can't wait to see how these guys develop - a change of the old guard is coming I think. OBD better be burning the midnight oil to put a better supporting cast around this kid.

I will take the win, but the Lions were getting to Josh rushing 3, that ain't good. Dawkins had his typical hold and what do they have to do to get him to understand how deep he can be on a screen before he is an ineligible receiver downfield. Been flagged enough for it and killed enough gains from screens. There were times they held up enough for Josh to go through his progressions and they made his strike to Foster possible. Will give them one, but have not budged on that unit needing an infusion of talent and better coaching.

I was hoping the Zay we saw year one, fighting every catch, was gone. Not-so-much. I don't know if he will ever develop the consistency to be that go to receiver for us, and I have been rooting for this kid to turn it around, but the killer drops at key moments keep coming. At best a #3 and I don't know if he has the hands to play that slot position.... too early, but the clock is ticking. OBD needs to do a better job vetting their early round WR prospects to see if they were dropping as many passes as they were catching in college. To see if they catch cleanly with their hands instead of trapping with their body, etc... beating a dead horse, but we need receivers with speed and hands so Josh can shred other teams deep.

Belicheat does always just flirt with pushing the boundaries of cheating, and straight-up will cheat if he thinks he can get away with it. Is what it is, I still remember him fouling up our no-huddle as the defensive coordinator of the Giants in our first SB, where his players would feign injury to do substitutions and then trot out fine the next play. The following year (I think) they added a rule that an "injured" player could not come back in for a couple plays. Belichick's antics pretty much keep the rules committee busy every offseason plugging the holes he finds around the rules. I would praise him for being crafty, if he were our coach, but he sucks because he isn't.

Don't get hung up on completion percentage, it is a truly misleading stat. Does not take into account dropped passes, or times when the best play is to throw it away. On the flip side, there are guys with ridiculous completion percentages and QB ratings who will without fail take the easy dump off pass 4-6 yards short of the sticks on every 3 and long play. Sure they completed the pass - meaningless in the grand scheme of the game as you have to trot out your punting unit. Rather have someone with the stones to try to get the first down or more. Best thing you can do is see if Allen is making passes he missed the week before, is he throwing it away when he should, is he getting it into his WRs hands, is he pushing it down the field to move the chains... work in progress folks, but I am more stoked by this kid's play than I have been for a Bills QB in a long time and I am going to allow myself to have a bit of hope for this team. And sure, I may end up crying in my beer - been there done that enough, but why not enjoy the ride a bit.

I agree with you there - there are a few that keep NFL stats on drops, but college ranks I got nothing. I really wanted to look at the top-end WR prospects in the draft and see who had the most drops... particularly the top-end TE's like Fant. I don't really want Josh to take a lot off his throws, I want to see the ball on a rope for the comeback routes, quick outs and slants. And folks act like a 60 yard pass needs to have more of a rainbow.... there is certainly room to grow, but I would like them to find tools that could work with Josh's strong arm rather than Josh trying to soften those throws. Yes, there needs to be touch on those screens and bubble plays, but I have seen a lot of growth in that area from Josh - enough to give me some confidence that he is getting good coaching and that he is coachable.

Not too hard to find. They are the guys that are strangely silent every time he does something amazing under pressure, and who fall all over themselves posting at every poor decision or executed play.

Just having a bit of an off season... he will learn from it. Early success can sometimes make someone think they are better than they are, but I think Tre is driven to get better - he will be fine.

So predictable...so when is a QB definitively there... Canton?

Most teams know that Tre is usually singled up on receivers - he is 5' 11" and has been struggling locating the ball at the "high point" going against a receiver who is 6' 4".... not a huge gamble and one worth taking for opposing teams.

OK Mr. Negativity... but seriously, can't argue with you on the ugly in this game. But we have a rookie at QB, 3-4 string WR's, 4th string RB, scrubs and rookies on o-line, whereas Detroit.... I'll take a win.

should have guessed the Allen-keeper... hard to blame the coaches, the kid makes a high percentage of those

upback time...

c'mon Ford get the ball over the line before you wander out of bounds... awareness kid.

I feel bad for Rosen... Allen has a bad supporting cast too, but Rosen is getting killed and if Josh had the ints Rosen has it would be pitchforks and torches in B-Lo

I would never call that play near the end of a meaningless game.