DCofNC

It’s like listening to Mike Tyson speak… the word you wanted there is “redemption”, Lamar. Do Raven fans eat crow or Raven? Is Carpaccio an option?

Isn’t it funny how the crowd in the stadium actually makes it more entertaining to watch? It’s the same game, same teams etc, yet somehow just having people that have nothing to do with the game being there, it’s way more entertaining. I don’t understand it, but it’s clearly true.

Close enough for me. I might have a few of them flip flopped, but the tiers look right.

I think the average fan forgets this. We are talking about world class athletes, in their prime physical condition, at their absolute dumbest time of their lives. They do not simply work out and study film all off season. Is there risk in basketball? Yep. However, I’d be far more concerned about 100 other activities I can think of off the top of my head.

Thats NOT this team. Thats not the schedule they get to play, etc. That was the definition of a fluke. McD does tend to get quite a bit from mediocre talent on D, I give him props. The issue is, that mediocre talent isn’t enough to get them over the hump when it matters. There’s not a single difference maker on the D at any position. The only one you can even argue for is Benford and though he’s really good, he’s no game breaker. For the D to be as good as it has been with so little real talent out there, McD has done a great job. McBeane? Well somebody needs to explain the lack of talent.. whiff after whiff on early defensive picks is just not helping. Thankfully they have gotten some late in the draft that have worked out.

Take away JA17 and this is a 5-6 win team if you are being objective. The OL is the only unit on the team that is above average and it’s certain that JA pads their stats a little by being nearly impossible to sack. The WRs are a pathetically weak group, TEs are average (with potential for better), RBs are good, but again, make them the focal point by taking away JA, they aren’t carrying anything. The defense is mediocre against good teams and if teams felt comfortable running and imposing their will, not fearing JA putting 30+ on them, they get mauled. I have hopes for the DL being better and helping the LBs be able to move around and be effective again. Thats all speculation at this point and the secondary is a huge question mark, we know of exactly two guys who would be starters on other teams. Maybe the draft has made that better, maybe not. JA makes this team, it’s not a question and it’s not debatable in my eyes. He IS the most VALUABLE player to any team in the league. I feel he is worth 2-3 more wins than Mahomes is to KC and I’d say 4-5 more than Jackson for Baltimore. Baltimore was still reasonable before Henry, with guys that can’t even win back up jobs now.

that list of guys being available is exactly why Cook won’t get his wish. He’s not going to get paid big when there are lots of other options out there.

It makes perfect sense, there is a market price for replacement. Where some positions are in higher demand, the price will be higher. —- by your logic —— RB is valued higher than a kicker, but kickers out score them every year, and there’s only 32 jobs in the whole league, clearly kickers should cost more, make it make sense!

He’ll get the job, the owner already made them draft him, if you think he won’t force them to play him, I think you are mistaken. I can not for the life of me understand what they were doing drafting Gabriel, dude is a priority undrafted FA at best. What a waste of picks to not only take him, but then trade UP to take a better QB after him.

Spot on. The reality, the Ravens beat the Ravens in the playoffs and that’s really their biggest fault as a whole. They have been pretty dominant in the regular season, but Lamar has not shown to be the same guy in the playoffs. I’m happy the Bills got the turnovers they did, but to expect that to happen again, not likely. We’re in not for Lamar crapping himself in the first half and a dropped pass that Andrews catches 98% of the time, that game is one the Bills certainly didn’t go out an stomp the Ravens. I’d be so candid as to call it a bit lucky to have gotten the win.

Cincy usually starts off painfully slow, I’m with you. Once they get clicking it’s hard to stop them. Regardless of what the numbers from last year say, I don’t trust the Bills to match their point total if it becomes a shoot out. Their weapons are still far better and Burrow vs Allen is basically a push. Baltimore is the type of offense that should come out of the gate hitting on most of their cylinders. They are made in the running game, Jackson gets chunk plays on the most basic routes that are usually a result of busted coverage. That’s the hardest things for any team to stop early in the year, especially when the Bills are expected to be rolling out a lot of new defensive players. I don’t like the matchup. I’d rather see them around week 10 as a little bit of a gauge yourself game. The rookies would be up to speed, Jackson and Henry will have taken a few more hits and aren’t quite as dynamic. The same thing can be said of the Bills I suppose, but the Bills aren’t a power running team aside from Allen and again, aren’t as explosive either. Allen is the guy I want all day every day, but Jackson is more explosive as a runner and tends to get more big chunks passing because for everything he’s not, he is very good at deep balls, especially when guys are running wide open, which happens a lot because he has to be spied and Henry doesn’t allow you to play a soft zone without getting you run over. I know I’m in the minority, but I consider Baltimore the biggest hurdle in the AFC. Jackson hasn’t been great in the playoffs, so there’s that, but KC is on the decline a bit and Buffalo is trending up, I THINK they can get over that hump. Baltimore is a bad matchup on paper.

He may be too scrambled to make anything of himself. Dallas has been getting a lot from their corners so if he’s going to be anything that’s a solid shot.

I expect him to be a contributor in Dallas, he flashed quite a bit when he got a chance here. He also had a lot of mental lapses, so if the coaching there can reach him, he was a 1st round pick for a reason.

Owens wasn’t the check down so Captain wasn’t throwing to him. I remember someone describing him as running like an angry rhino, I thought we had a star in the making, turns out he was Kelvin Benjamin, the prequel.

I can’t argue the point in more runs than passes, but my thought is the Ravens will be prepared to stop the run (and have the personnel to do it) and to move the ball you will have to pass. With what is still a questionable at best receiving core outside of Shakir, it will be interesting. I’m rooting for the win, but I’m not going to be shocked if it doesn’t work out. Baltimore is good and got better this offseason, they should be one of the favorites to win it all. We aren’t asking about playoff Jackson, we are getting his best shot, it’s regular season lol.

Agreed. I won’t be surprised at all if Baltimore absolutely curb stomps the Bills week 1. If the Jets are even competitive, I’ll be worried.

Used to laugh at Fat Larry in his yellow Porsche out hocking tickets every Sunday off of 90. Ahh the good ole days. I will say TM has made the process easier and safer at the expense of insane prices. I used to routinely walk in around game time and scoop great seats for $20 or less, that was nice, but it was always a risk that they might be duplicates etc. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think the live entertainment industry is in trouble, because of their deal with the Devil, they have alienated the average person, you now have to be stupid or rich to attend more than an event or 2 a year. There’s definitely a lot of stupidity in the world so maybe it holds up, but the vast majority of the market is not going anymore.

For example, if the AFC East drew the NFC South for out of conference and the Bills didn’t win 4 games, they should just be automatically out of the playoffs, but assuming they do what they should, that’s a lot easier to pad the record vs having to deal with the NFC North… not that the Bills didn’t handle their business there too, but it’s still a lot harder to do. I’d end up pretty irritated when the AFC W draws the NFC S and the Bills have to play literally any other NFC division that all hold at least 2 very good teams if not more. It could end up with the Chargers as a higher seed than the Bills and we all know that ain’t right.

Ticketmaster can suck my left one, I can’t stand them, BUT they do basically control everything again and set/destroy the market for fans everywhere, so I’m super pumped about their data.

I love Shakir, he’s so tough. I would prefer Shakir the player, but Ladd’s contract is more appealing.

I’ll make the bold prediction the perfect season will be over after week 1. Typically passing offenses struggle more week one with the new preseason format, that impacts the Bills more than the Ravens and the Bills SHOULD be rolling out a bunch of rookie defenders.

Ok, the Bills should have drafted McConkey and let Shakir go, saving 10M/yr the next 4 years . There I did it.

It’s a ton of money, but I think it’s fair. He’s paid at 7th highest per year, which is about in line with his actual talent level. I’d say he’s right in the top 10 range and this basically sets the new mark for the 10th best QB in the league. Prior to last year, I would have argued he was about even with Goff, but Goff was great last year so I can’t say that now, I have him above Tua, so it’s all about right in my mind. Good for him, from Mr. Irrelevant to generational wealth. He landed in a good spot and did his part to get where he is.

Don’t be so sure, nobody gave Indiana a shot vs Cleveland in the NBA this year and they spanked them in 5 games, in the NFL it’s who’s better for that particular 60 minutes.

I’m sure if they decide to trade him, they will let the other side work out a deal with him, they’re only costing themselves return if they don’t. He’s worth a 4th as a rental, but if he refuses to play on that deal anyway, there’s got to be a negotiation w the next team.