Beck Water

Sal C. is a good reporter. Joe Buscaglia. Mark Gaughan. Jay Skurski - all write factual stories that question the Bills choices at times in a rational, fact-founded way. Katharine Fitzgerald writes well, but pretty much straight factual reporting from what I've seen. That's also historically been John Wawrow's role, "just the facts" and despite his partisan defense of his bud Sullivan and his tortuous Covid-interview questions, he's still a very good reporter. Really starting to like TBN newbie Ryan O'Halloran. Parrino and Talbot write good stories, but they trend a bit towards being "fangirl" and also have that habit of quoting tweets as sources which to me is just journalistic weak-sauce (even though they apparently did have a real source on Beasley, sorry guys). Muki Hawkins and the Challenger News guy (whose name I'm blanking on) get some of the other reporters looking down their nose, but to my ears they effectively use a classic reporting strategy - they will ask some folksy, connection-building thing, you can see McDermott or Frazier smile a little and visibly relax - then they sometimes follow up with a pretty pointed "I know ball" question, and actually sometime get a non-canned thoughtful response beyond what the other reporters get (and of course, sometimes they don't). In hindsight, Alaina Getzenberg knew something about Josh's elbow - that he was preparing pretty much as normal - and was making a spirited effort to get McDermott to "spill the tea" by being all bubbly and asking something like "watching Josh prepare this week, if you didn't know something was wrong, would you say he's completely normal?" (he gave her his "no soup for you!" look and I thought it was a weird question, but looking back, she knew something from chatting up guys in the locker room, so - Nice Try, Girlfriend.) He-who-was-formerly-employed-by-Niagara-Gazette liked to confuse being a confrontational prick and having a negative narrative with being a tough reporter asking tough questions. But the questions he asked or his statements were really "dead end" verbiage designed to elicit a negative reaction he could insert into his narrative, and tended to get his targets to give him a terse 1-2 word response and clam up. Something something flies honey vinegar.

Allen's passes have every bit of the same velocity at times. That Piss Missile to Diggs at the end of the Lions game to set up the GW FG? LOL. What appears different to me is: 1) Josh doesn't have the same pinpoint accuracy and control when he's throwing off platform. This is a concern especially over the middle of the field where the ball being off 3 feet may mean a pick. 2) when he's able to set and throw on-platform, his throws look normal to me - but he doesn't get the chance to do that as much as I'd like, especially last couple games (Detroit, NE, Jets). It makes sense - if Josh is using his hips to power the throw and his arm to guide it, the elbow isn't under as much load? 3) he's lost a bit of control, he's throwing harder especially off platform. I think that was actually a problem contributing to the large # of drops our receivers had vs. Jets - in the cold rain, Josh didn't feel comfortable taking a little off and reverted to throwing the heat. In the cold rain, when the ball smacked into their slippery-er WR gloves, harder to hang on to it.

I take your point about the 13-week long ankle sprains. However don't you think the difference in the team's status, and Allen's status with the team makes a difference in how the injury is handled? The first time Allen sprained his UCL, he was a hard-playing but struggling rookie, trying to figure out how to prepare and play in the NFL. The Bills had just done what they should have done before the season - bring in a vet QB to 'show him how it's done' (and not totally kill us with picks if he played a couple games). The Bills had just invested a first round pick+ into him and needed him to develop. The team had nothing to lose and a lot to gain in the future by sitting him. It made sense to put him on ice and not let him rush back. "Watch and Learn, Rook" This season, the team's hopes of a championship rest on Allen playing if he can. He's most of the offense. If he can play, the team needs him to play. That said, I don't believe the tear was worse - the initial reports were that it was not as severe as his rookie season tear. From what Carson Palmer, with a more severe sprain, said, it didn't hurt and he was able to make throws normally. It was just every 3 or 4th throw would behave abnormally - go off target or wind up in the dirt. So Allen dirting a throw on the run in front of Diggs, then next throw right on target to Davis, fits with what Palmer said about his more severe UCL injury.

Wait, those topics don’t fascinate you?

They’re praising the look on Brock Purdy’s face? He should have been picked at least 3x tonight. He’s playing well for a young QB drafted at the end of the draft, but seriously?

Yeah the announcers were all going on about how the 70 yr old Carrol “70 is the new 30” but I think he just doesn’t have the fire and dedication any more. I don’t think his team looks well coached and disciplined and he doesn’t seem to make good decisions

I need to hit the rulebook because I didn’t understand the distinction being made between “going down on his own” and “giving himself up”. I thought it was a “giving himself up” and the ball was short Learn something new….

Well, if the sloppy Seabirds let the 49ers convert 3rd downs like that it shall be a moot point

OK, so what’s the logic to not go for 2 here? If they get a stop and get another TD, is it going to come down to whether they make a 2 pt conversion to tie?

I’ve thought for a couple seasons now that the Seattle D is just not a well-coached or energetic group. This game is not changing my mind

OK, who knew that Tyler Kroft was playing for the SF 49ers now?

Busted coverage, the LB was supposed to pick him up I think. But #6 crapped his drawers trying feebly to tackle him

Oh, a couple of them tried, but their tries were pretty feeble

I’m kind of thinking the game is essentially over, but ?

Richard Sherman damn near lost his ***** LOL Metcalf needs to be more subtle there

Well. Pete Carroll. Kyle Shanahan. I thought, I shall see clever play design and guys schemed open and and and Instead I’m seeing a lot of throws into very tight coverage and sometimes into the vicinity of positive flocks of defenders Huh.

Shoulda been IMO OTOH, that last pass could easily have been picked so….. I thought from what the announcers were saying it was some kind of Seattle fan tradition akin to the ketsup and mustard Does look worth seeing though

Now that I think coulda been a pick with a better DB WTF is the Seattle tradition that involves tossing around a dead fish?

Seems like a pretty nice play with multiple levels and a nice throw on the move

Diggs sighting! Stefon Diggs in a cameo for Gatorade Fast Twitch sportsdrink

A mystery of life: why the Bills are incompetent at screens

Essentially their entire remaining draft - 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th round picks. Think the 5th round may have been for next year; they have an extra 3rd round pick for McDaniel getting hired by the Dolphins so they do still have a pick.

Absolutely, though I do think SF can utilize him in away we wouldn’t. I think they have a better OL and a more creative run-designing coach

Y

Somehow this reminds me a little bit of the (possibly apocryphal) saint who decided to see how he could tolerate being burnt by putting his finger in a candle flame.