CincyBillsFan

To say this is a tad premature is like saying it get's cold in the winter in Buffalo. I mean seriously can't this guy go cover some basketball? We've yet to have the draft and the Bills are loaded down with enough cap space to make King Midas jealous. And last I looked we haven't even signed a first free agent yet. Is it me or does espn get leas relevant every year?

While the NFC SB streak versus the AFC at that time is interesting IMO it is not very relevant to the question of the Buffalo Bills 4 straight SB losses. My point was that it didn't matter whether the AFC was strong or weak during this time as the Bills were loaded with future HOF players and would have been an elite team in the NFC during that 4 year stretch. I again point to the fact that during those 4 years the Bills/NFC regular season record, which equaled a full season of play, was 14 - 2. This included beating a number of NFC playoff/SB teams. In fact it's not hard to project that had the Bills actually needed to win those 2 season ending losses against NFC teams they might have gone 16 - 0 during that period! Remember how in one of those losses the bills SECOND TEAM lost in OT to a Detroit squad that needed to win the game to make the playoffs. In fact given the Bills record against NFC teams during their SB run I believe they may have gone to at least 3 SB's in a row (1990, 1991, 1992 seasons). How effective do you think Dallas & Washington would have been playing at Rich Stadium in January for the NFC championship game?

I remember arguing with a friend that the Bills going to 4 straight SB's was an amazing achievement. He countered that it wasn't such a big deal because they played in the weaker AFC. That bothered me so I did a little research and proved my friend wrong and showed just how WEIRD those Bills SB teams were. The bottom line is that had the Bills played in the NFC they still might have gone to 4 straight SB's and lost every one of them to an AFC team - my proof: During the 4 years the Bills went to the SB their inter-conference record against the NFC was an astonishing 14 - 2! And this included beating a lot of NFC playoff teams! This also included beating, ON THE ROAD, two teams (Giants & Cowboys) that would go on and beat them that year in the SB! Looking even closer the two losses were season ending games in which Buffalo HAD ALREADY clinched the home field advantage throughout the playoffs! The Bills rested many of their starters in what were to Buffalo, meaningless games. The ONLY plausible explanation for the Bills SB losses is that someone put a hex on them.

This is a good observation WideNine and let me provide another: remember against the LA Chargers when Allen threw that horrible wheel route pass to Demarco who had to make a circus catch to grab it? He was wide open and people rightly criticized Allen for that pass and have used it as an example of his "inaccuracy". Now fast forward to after Allen returned from injury and was playing the Dolphins in Miami. Remember how he had perfect touch on the same pass to Demarco on the wheel route that went for 30+ yards. That's what I like about the kid - he learns from his mistakes and improves on what he doesn't do so well.

I'm also one of those that remember Lamonica which means I'm getting old. But that was a TRADE. The Bills had Lamonica on the team with a perfect opportunity to properly evaluate him. In the case of Mahomes we're talking about the Bill's making a trade with KC for draft position. Did the Bills even know that the Chiefs were taking Mahomes? And during the 2017 draft period it was hardly unanimous that Mahomes was going to be a good NFL QB. Even the Chiefs thought he needed work as they created a situation where Mahomes, unlike this years Rookie QB class, was not expected to start and had the luxury of sitting him behind Smith. But your Lamonica point makes me wonder if the Bills even got that one wrong. I mean his fame as a QB was that he was the mad bomber who threw the long ball very well. And in Oakland he had Warren Wells & Fred Bilitnikoff to throw the ball to. Had the Bills kept Lamonica are we all that sure he would have had near the success in buffalo that he had in Oakland?

I think the more relevant question is whether you have watched where MOST of his passes ended up.

This tells me that in addition to a commendable spirit of wanting to constantly improve Allen watched the playoff games and desperately wanted to be out there with the Bills. This guy is going to do whatever it takes to get Buffalo over the hump next season. And for the record some of the best position coaches in Football are the guys who ALMOST made it. Like others have noted, for the life of me how is this a bad thing? These naysayers appear to want Allen to just give up and self declare that he's a bust. That way we can move up in this years draft and take Haskins or the OK baseball player. It just seems nuts to me and an awful way to root for a team.

I'm not saying it wouldn't be a topic of discussion I'm saying that in my somewhat limited experience visiting other NFL message boards and living in another NFL city the obsession shown over the Bills not selecting Mahomes seems excessive. I mean how many threads are we going to have on this topic? And it's true that Mahomes would have been the #1 pick back in 2017 if they knew then what we know today BUT you can say that about EVERY draft. I mean just off the top of my head I bet McCaffrey would have been picked ahead of Forenette if they knew in 2017 what we know today about both RB's. And I bet the Bengals would have picked anyone BUT WR Jon Ross at #9 knowing what they do today.

I also think the legacy of winning 4 straight AFC championships is safe. The Pat's remind me of the 1993 Bills in that they're clearly sliding but have one last gasp left in their dynasty. I think the fall off in the Pat's and particularly in Brady's play next year will be dramatic. Best I see for the Patriots is 10 - 6 and a wild card next year.

A bit selective in the stats there C.Biscuit. Let's look at Mahomes full stats for that 2017 game: 22 - 34 - 284 yards - 0 TDs - 1 INT 7 carries for 10 yards, no TD's Not bad but nothing to write home about either, particularly given the talent around Mahomes in that last game in 2017. I would argue that Allen had at least 4 games with TOTAL stats equal to or better then that. I agree that other fan bases would look at this thread and all the other Mahomes threads on a Buffalo Bills message board and think we're lunatics but not for the reason you think. They would think it's nuts that so many Bills fans obsess over Mahomes. They would wonder why 2 years after the 2017 draft we are still crying about not taking Mahomes or even weirder fantasizing about what might have been if Mahones was wearing a Bills uniform. And I say again that if I had a choice between exchanging Allen for Mahomes OR keeping Allen and getting Hill & Kelce I would keep Allen & take Kelce/Hill in a heartbeat.

Good take. People keep forgetting that an honest appraisal of Allen after his rookie year would show that he was a better QB then what Mahmes showed after his rookie season. Now the main reason for that was that Allen got the opportunity to play most of his rookie season and Mahomes did not but the conclusion remains the same: Allen in his rookie year showed more then Mahomes did in his, particularly in Allen's last 6 games. Now do I think Allen will match Mahomes in his 2nd year? No I don't because I don't see any way that the Bills can replicate the offensive talent that Mahomes had at his disposal. However I do believe that at the end of next year Allen will not be very far behind Mahomes in his QB play. And I suspect that absent injury these two will be slugging it out over the next 10 years to see who is the best QB in the AFC (along with Sam Dranold).

The Bills PR department isn't spinning anything. It's fans who trust what they saw with their own eyes. A least for me my optimism is based on the outstanding progress made by Allen over the course of the season, the Bills solid foundation of a defense and a whole lot of CAP money.

I'd rather have Hill & Kelce to be honest - they are so good it's amazing. To be fair ask us after next season.

Damn freaking Romo calls every play before it happens!

As much as i don't like the Pats he didn't touch the ball. For the integrity of the game they have to overrule that call - the replay was clear.

And I was enjoying my beer & wings until you posted this!

Those sideline shots of Belicheck makes him look like a grumpy old Buddha who is just dying to scream "get off my lawn punks"!

The music to start with!

More Bud Light commercials with the King and less of that bizarre commercial with all those people in colored jump suits running around some buildings!

Calm down folks it's one possession. It's natural that Mahomes would be a bit tight. Goff also started slowly today.

I submit that when playing at home in the AFC championship game with one of the best offenses in the NFL you take the KO, grab the lead and ride your crowd the rest of the way. By deferring they played right into the hands of the Patriots.

So the refs miss TWO penalties on that play - pass interference AND targeting a defenseless player! Now I know we shouldn't complain about the refs but come on this level of incompetence is unacceptable. Now watch for the make-up calls.

It's absolutely sarcasm ShadyBillsFan. But the fact you couldn't be sure is a testament to the whacked out way in which every aspect of Allen's game is picked apart in hopes of furthering the "Allen is a bust" agenda. Like I've said in other posts I welcome constructive, fair criticism of Allen. But so much of what passes for criticism of this guy just seems absurd to me. Sorry for the misunderstanding Putin but I was just following up your sarcastic post with one of my own.

You win first price because no Bill has come close to being underutilized like Lamonica was. Oh what might have been had they kept the mad bomber! And yes we're showing our old age here!

Yea and Allen couldn't hit the broad side of a barn even if he was trying to. You want proof of this? Remember after running for a 30 yard TD against Miami in the last game? Well Allen looked like he was going to throw the ball into the stands to a deserving fan but he didn't and you know why? He didn't trust his ability to get the ball to a fan even in a sea of fans! And if you slow down the video and look closely at his footwork in the end zone it sucked and his upper body throwing mechanics wern't all that great either. Anyone who knows metrics could see he wasn't going to get the ball to a fan with those throwing mechanics. Now I know the usual Allen apologists and Bills homers will respond and say that Allen was scrambling for his life from his own team mates trying to congratulate him on the TD but I say enough with the excuses - you don't see Mahomes making them do you! And if Rosen had run 30 yards for a TD his awful O-line would have been all over him to and yet he would have easily hit a fan in the stands.