Beck Water

Sal Capaccio put up the nifty little moving diagram It's a good question to me who is supposed to be covering Duvernay Dane Jackson is all alone over there with Andrews and Duvernay, and he's giving most of his attention to Andrews.

I do question spending the higher picks on RB's. I'm not entirely sure the problem is the RBs. A good quality OL seems able to turn lesser RBs into serviceable ball carriers, especially when the D is scared of the QB. I don't think Edwards-Helaire and Isiah Pacheco are 14th and 15th for YPA entirely because they're such fantastic RBs; they have a good OL now which is decent at run blocking The same can not be said for the Bills. Now part of that is the need to mesh together, perhaps, but one can't call the Bills draft investment in OL extensive. E-H ran a 4.6 40 btw; people put a little too much stress on the "underwear olympics" given that in pads and cleats some guys play faster and some slower. Pacheco was fast though (4.37 40), and plays like it.

You can probably go through any game and say "look how close......" 5-6 times.

I'll accept that for the sake of reinforcing the point. Since our Franchise Guy needs targets to catch what he's throwing and the Bills offense behaves as though a run game is optional, isn't it a bit peculiar that Beane has invested 2 3rd round and a second round pick in RBs, vs 1 1st-rd equivalent and a bunch of 5th and 6th round picks in those all important WR targets?

I think it's more complicated than that. Cover1 and I think? Brett Kollman did some stuff on it ( but I can't find it in 5 minutes of looking) IIRC and if I don't I'm sure someone will put me right, the Bills were dealing with the Dolphins pressures by sliding the line and having Singletary release into the flat for a quick pass. Except on the strip sack, the Dolphins sent one more guy to that side than the Bills were prepared to block.

Well, that may well be. But since we're spending the Big Bucks on Josh Allen to be our Franchise Man, it's a bit of a puzzle why Beane feels 2nd/3rd round picks are OK for the RB position, but 4th/5th/6th/UDFA picks are good enough for the WR position, and only 1 3rd round pick at TE (where we seem might-tee thin) vs 3 at RB? It's a puzzle to me.

You seem to be the one bringing up "rumors and crap" from 2 seasons ago. Since you did bring them up, it seems a bit lame to refuse to source or specify the "rumors and crap" you yourself bring up.

Post more please

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I think the "dark room" advice has been superceded. Here's an example of current CDC protocols https://www.verywellhealth.com/concussion-protocol-5195083 Nothing about dark room, just initial rest - also, driven by symptoms. Note that some studies of screen time looked at limiting it in the first 48 hrs. Show is Tues nite, >48 hrs will have passed.

They could certainly recommend that he do so, but I suppose sitting in front of a mic in a pub could be considered "rest"? As long as there aren't active symptoms like headache, nausea, dizziness etc - the only actual studies I know involve limiting screen time for the first 48 hrs and also limiting physical activity.

I think they need to designate him to return to practice starting Weds, when they practice. They then have 21 days to make a decision either to activate him, or put him on season ending IR. From PUP as I understand it short-term is not an option. Tuesday is a day off for NFL teams who play Sunday.

Given objective measurements like WBGT and the whole IH science/OSHA guidance around avoiding heat stress illness and death in the workplace, it's kinda clear it's more than a "they think....you say" issue. Football players are known to be LETSGO! types who have long training since HS to go play hard in "whatever" conditions. Objectively, the conditions in Hard Rock Stadium on a sunny day in September are dangerous heat stress conditions for unacclimatized workers wearing thick protective clothing and undergoing maximal physical exertion in the absence of rest periods in shade. Bills game there last season was partly cloudy and light rain. Similar 2020.

That's where I am. The Bills always had the luxury of Mr Hyde as their "break glass in emergency" PR guy McKenzie is an Alka-Selzer moment waiting to happen as a PR guy.

Well, they've got to IR him now.....right? (I personally thought Ed Oliver and Kumerow should have gone on IR with the high ankle sprains). Where did you hear this, by the way? Edit: NVM

You're writing like a guy who equates production 100% with targets and receptions. Fantasy football promotes this. These guys look at the stat sheet and says "1 reception on 3 targets for a guy playing 98% of the snaps, That's Crap" or "Holy hell, 3 receptions on 6 targets, Catch the Ball, Man!". Well, Davis is currently scored with 0 drops, so maybe technically he was the closest WR but those weren't considered catchable balls. The Bills weren't high enough on Davis to pencil him in as the #2 guy because they see him as "nothing but inconsistent". If you have a more salient argument for his inconsistancy, I'd be happy to hear it. A WR production from week to week depends upon a lot of things, including what the opponent decides to scheme to take away. If Davis is being asked to block, he won't get targets. If the opponent is saying "we're gonna play to take away the deep/intermediate game and force you to beat us with short throws" leading to 10, 14, 17, 20 play drives - Davis likely won't see a lot of targets because he's just not gonna be playing in the slot. Personally, my concern about Davis as a legit #2 WR in the NFL is 100% based on his right ankle. That's not an excuse, it's a statement of fact. He sprained it in practice leading up to week 2 last season. Several reasonably knowledgeable Bills Beat reporters (Capaccio was one) said that Davis just didn't have the explosiveness/quickness he needs to gain separation as a WR when they were watching him in practice, through most of the first half of the season. Now week 2 this season, he injures the same ankle, misses a game. He's not a fast enough guy that he can gain separation by running by people or a big enough guy that he's always open above his head. If he can't keep his ankles healthy enough to play his best game and get open as a #2, we can't rely upon him as a #2 WR. That said, I think the last 2 games were outliers in that in Miami, the patchwork OL forced a dink-n-dunk offense and in Baltimore, the rain and wind likewise. Time will tell. If Davis is going to make a habit of gimping up in the week 2 practice and not being able to get open against NFL Ds on game day as our #2 WR for the next 6 weeks, then we can't count on him as our #2 no matter what he can do when healthy, no matter what he can do when healthy.

Bottom line: no confusion at all to date, though the situation may change this week. Salient point: We've been running with 5 active WR per game, plus 5 RB and 2 TE. This is in contrast to last season when we typically had 6 WR active but only 4 RB/FB and 2 TE and likely reflects a philosophical shift on offense towards using an RB in the short passing game and away from an empty backfield with 5 WR. I think fundamentally as a former QB, Dorsey is just not a fan of the 5 WR set. But what it means is, with 6 WR on the roster, 1 WR will be inactive each week, and we won't see PS elevations unless more than 1 WR is injured. Shakir has been the low man on the totem pole, so with 1 WR per game injured (Davis for game 2, now Kumerow for game 4) he gets activated to fill out the 5, but there's no need to elevate a guy on from the PS. Remember that we can elevate only 2 PS players per game and each player can only be elevated 3x (new this year, used to be 2) before signing him to the roster. To date, with Oliver and Settle inactive for game 2, then Oliver and Phillips for game 3 and 4, our PS elevations have focused on DL with Bryant and Brewer elevated Wk 2, Emili and Brant for Wk 3, and Emili for Wk 4. Now for Week 5, we have Kumerow with a high ankle sprain and Crowder with an unknown foot injury. The fact that the Bills didn't IR Kumerow says they hope he's back earlier than 4 games. Obviously if Crowder goes on IR, we'll see a WR elevation from the PS or a signing - maybe 2 if McKenzie is in concussion protocol for any length of time. So Hodgins will likely get his reps with the 1's this week and have a chance to make his case. But to date, fundamentally, the Bills are saying they believe Davis on a bum ankle (that is clearly hampering him as a WR) is a better player for them than Hodgins on 2 healthy ankles. This is likely because of blocking. Kumerow and Davis are the best blocking WR on the team and it's not close. Crowder was a huge disappointment to me yesterday. He was pretty clearly "hearing footsteps" and not wanting to catch the ball and get his clock cleaned. Now there's a point that Josh made in an interview with Chris Simms, that if he's throwing the ball into a tight window where someone is double-covered it probably means he should be throwing it elsewhere, where someone is open, but he was under a lot of pressure yesterday so finding that guy is no easy feat. Plus, the Ravens (to me) seemed very good at playing a rather "zone like" man coverage, where the safeties were reading Josh's eyes and coming off their guy to double the target (if need be).

I was watching the KC game last night where some 7th round pick named Isiah Pacheco was picking up 5.7 yds per carry, and the light bulb flickered: Maybe the problem isn't entirely our RBs. Maybe the fact that Bienemy, a former RB, is the OC of the KC Chiefs, has something to do with it. Maybe our OCs just aren't crafting a very good run game.

Let it go, Man. The real problems there were the holding penalty that put the Bills from the Dolphins 43 to their own 47, and the lack of protection (cuz exhausted backup linemen, one playing without an ACL) that prevented Allen from hitting Diggs beyond the FG target line. If you listen to McKenzie's interviews, he understood the situation very well, he also was very well aware that if he ran backwards OOB it wouldn't stop the clock OR gain needed distance.

? So far this season Singletary is averaging a higher % of snaps than last season 69% in 2022 so far vs 60% in 2021 73% vs Mia 88% vs Bal So his playing time is increasing

It's the orientation of the field combined with the overhang of the stadium roof, which is symmetrical about the field but due to orientation provides shade to the SW side of the field much earlier than to the NE side of the field, which remains in full sun until late afternoon/evening. The home sideline is on the SW side, shaded in the afternoon, and the visitor sideline is on the NE side, sunny all afternoon. The NFL has some sort of regulation prohibiting effective sun shades. I guess if they are too high, they block spectator view but if they're too low, they present a hazard to players running on and off the field of play. Anyway, technically the sideline could be tarped to provide shade to the visitors but NFL regs apparently prohibit this. Fundamentally, the job (game) requirement to undergo maximum physical exertion for several hours in conditions where the workers (players) are required to wear protective clothing that retains heat, where there's no shade during rest periods, heat radiating off the field, and temperature/humidity conditions higher than skin temperature is a heat stroke death waiting to happen. I'm frankly surprised that the NFLPA hasn't stepped up with an action limit where, when the temperature/humidity are over certain levels measured by a wet bulb globe thermometer on the sunnier sideline, the game must be postponed until the WBGT falls below levels AND shade must be provided on both sidelines.

Not only that, but Keith Butler has always seemed to have the Bills number for their defense. He's retired now, and IMO it's not yet clear his understudy Teryl Austin is up to the task but I'd say 2 of their 3 losses are more on the offense than the D. I think Davis is not comfortable at all, but people who say he's doing nothing are ignoring his role in blocking, which was significant on a number of plays. Like this dude. Even the announcers yesterday called out Davis for key blocks on a couple of plays. Watch some film, buddy.

Did Hart wipe his face and bag it up for DNA evidence?

I think this is the opposite of what's correct. If the lineman is engaged as a blocker, he's allowed to be downfield. If he's running downfield looking for something to do, he's "ineligible receiver downfield". If Brown reported in as an eligible receiver, he would still not be eligible to catch a pass because he would be "covered" by a receiver lined up to his R https://www.the-sun.com/sport/nfl/6020900/ineligible-receiver-ineligible-man-downfield-nfl/ If he were NOT engaged as a blocker, then I believe he gets a yard in the NFL (3 in college) though I'm hazy on this point. If he's continuously engaged as a blocker then he can go further downfield. Nope, no miss, he snuck out and ran across. It's a good question whether he was >1 yd past the line of scrimmage or not, and whether the "screen pass exception" exists in the NFL (apparently it does not)

DingDingDing I believe you are correct Edit: although another source I consulted says that's an NCAA only exception.